Manny Kianga
Manasse 'Manny' Kianga played in the Montagu Cup Round of 16 for Scawthorpe Athletic in a 3-1 defeat against AFP Pewter Pot in the 2023/24 season.
Three years later, Kianga is playing in the Champions League league phase for Slovan Bratislava - where they will face PSG. He has already scored in the Champions League qualifying against Swedish side Mjallby.
Kianga was born in South Africa and came to England with his family around 2016. While in England, he was linked with several professional clubs, but visa issues restricted his opportunities to non-League football with Worksop Town, Grantham Town and Sheffield FC.
In 2024, Kianga went to court in an attempt to obtain a visa to remain in England, where he was told: “If he’s a good player, he should go back to South Africa.”
Kianga was about to return to South Africa until Milan Janković suggested another path.
In September 2025 Kianga went from Rossington Main (9th tier in England) to Locomotiva Kosice (3rd tier in Slovakia) and just 5 months later to Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia's top tier). The manager at Slovan is Yaya Toure.
Now, the player who appeared in the Montagu Cup just three years ago is preparing to face some of Europe's biggest clubs. Slovan Bratislava’s 2026/27 Champions League opponents:
🇮🇹 Inter Milan — home
🇫🇷 PSG — away
🇪🇸 Real Betis — home
🇮🇹 Roma — away
🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk — home
🇫🇷 Lille — away
🇩🇪 Stuttgart — home
🇦🇹 LASK — away
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“From Scawthorpe Athletic in the Montagu Cup to facing PSG in the Champions League — in just over three years.”
You Tube interview with Manny by Slovan Bratislave: https://tinyurl.com/mppyjs8v
Manny Kianga playing for Scawthorpe Athletic in the Doncaster Sunday League in April 2023 in a match that was interrupted by a dog! Photos credit: x.com/dribblingcode
The team-sheets from 2023 with Kianga listed in the Scawthorpe Athletic line-up against AFC Royal (above) in the dog game! Also in the Montagu Cup (right - no. 10) where the number 11 player, Rio Allan is currently the National League leading scorer (Scarborough Athletic)
Manny Kianga with the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Sunday Senior Cup 2022/23. Credit: Scawthorpe Athletic
Manny's only appearance in the Montagu Cup (the oldest final still played at its original venue) was in a 3-1 defeat against AFP Pewter Pot. The photos (below) from this match were taken by Nick Bainbridge. https://x.com/gr455hopper
This is the teamsheet for the victorious AFP Pewter Pot that beat Scawthorpe Athletic featuring Manny Kianga.
Gary Hibbert was the stand in goalkeeper. Liam Flint was the Man of the Match for AFP.
The goals for AFP came from Brandon Bagley 2, Juninho Blake. Scawthorpe's goal was scored by Adam Watson.
More on the 2023/24 Montag Cup at https://www.montagucup.com/2024
Please come and join us one Easter Monday for the historic Montagu Cup final (Mexborough, South Yorkshire, S64 0JL). The 2026/27 details are at https://www.montagucup.com/2027