Gambian duo Ken Abdoulie Mansally and Sainey Nyassi, who are playing their club football with New England Revolution in the United States Major Soccer League, will be among the club’s star players to watch out in the 2008 US MSL league.

The club is faced with a key question as to who will replace striker Pat Noonan. This was why they went shopping for strikers south of the border during the off-season. But holdovers Adam Cristman and Ken Mansally, plus former Zimbabwe youth international Kheli Dube, are front-runners to complement Taylor Twellman, Spencer Wadsworth, a draft pick from Duke University and Costa Rican Argenis Fernandez are small and extremely active.

According to the club’s website, none of the possible replacements will provide the experience and guile of Noonan, who is one of the key losses of the team. But their sheer speed and youthful enthusiasm will bring a different dimension to the attack.

Mansally’s combination of speed and strength, plus his impressive free kick in The Gambia’s win over Portugal in the U-20 event, caught the attention of scouts. But Revolution coaches were just as impressed with Mansally’s tactical sense and instincts in front of goal.

Only 14 Revolution players performed regularly last season as the team played 39 games, reaching the MLS Cup final and winning the U.S. Open Cup. This time, the Revolution will also be involved in the Superliga in July and August, plus the Champions League. The young forwards and players such as Mauricio Castro, Gary Flood, Amaechi Igwe and Sainey Nyassi will have to gain experience early in the season in order to be prepared when they are needed later on.