Manasse Kianga swaps Sunday league for Champions League

As five-time Ballon d’Or nominee Yaya Toure prepares to lead his Slovan Bratislava side out against Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart in the Champions League, Rossington Main boss Ben Hunter is analysing what happened the night before in his mid-table team’s clash in the ninth tier of English football.

They may be separated by thousands of miles and millions of pounds, but the coaches are united by one player.

Manasse Kianga was living in Rotherham and playing Sunday league football when he helped Doncaster outfit Main to promotion to their current level in 2023.

Three years later, he fired the Slovakian champions into Europe’s premier competition after reportedly being promoted from the reserves due to an injury crisis.

South African Kianga, 24, could make his debut in the competition later.

Toure’s troops began their Champions League campaign away to French giants Paris St-Germain last month and will also take on the likes of Roma and Inter Milan during the tournament’s league phase.

“He came to trial with Rossington and I had a look at him and straight away loved him,” recalls a proud Hunter, who remains close to the forward known for his electric pace.

“He was a really great guy as well and always played with a smile on his face.”

Kianga, who can play anywhere across the front line, emerged from the bench to score an injury-time winner for Slovan in the third and final round of qualifying for this year’s Champions League.

He travelled with the first team to the Parc des Princes but missed out on the matchday squad despite registering two goals and two assists in the opening three matches of their domestic campaign.

More recently, Kianga has played and scored for the Sky Blues’ reserves and could be involved in their first home fixture in the tournament’s league phase.