The Carolina RailHawks added another talented defender to the roster on Thursday, with the signing of Gambian international Mamadou “Futty” Danso ahead of the 2015 season.
“We were looking to add an experienced center back. Futty has ties to the RailHawks because he played for our U-23 team and feels identified with our structure,” said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. “We are very excited to have him, he is going to be a great support for us defensively.”
The 31-year-old center back joins the team after enjoying success at the RailHawks’ U-23 level back in 2008, when he played in the USL Premier Development League.
Danso played college soccer at North Carolina Wesleyan College and Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, where he scored 35 goals while playing both the defender and forward positions. He was a two-time All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection, was named SSAC’s 2007 Newcomer of the Year following his first season at SPSU, became the first Hornet to receive All-America honors in 2008 and was named to the honorable-mention team. In 2009, he was signed by the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division.
Danso played in 16 games as a rookie with the second-division Timbers and was a member of the Timbers backline that shared the league lead for fewest goals allowed during the regular season. He eventually aided the club to a first-place finish in the USL First Division and the 2009 USL First Division Commissioner’s Cup. Danso logged 2,950 minutes with the USSF Division 2 before the team joined MLS. He would eventually clock 5,437 with the Timbers senior team and score a career-high three goals.
Danso then joined Montreal Impact and played five games with the USL team before he joined the senior team, where he registered 231 minutes in three matches. On the international scene, Danso took part in 10 games with the Gambian national team.
You can follow Mamadou on Twitter @Futty98.
The RailHawks roster is now comprised of 17 players: two goalkeepers (Hunter Gilstrap and Brian Sylvestre), five defenders (Connor Tobin, Daniel Scott, Austen King, Kupono Low and Mamadou Danso), eight midfielders (Nazmi Albadawi, Tiyi Shipalane, Leo Osaki, Neil Hlavaty, Mark Anderson, Wells Thompson, Austin Da Luz and Chris Nurse) and two forwards (Nacho Novo and Simone Bracalello).
Danso and the RailHawks will open the 2015 preseason at home against Seoul E-Land FC, in the 7th Annual Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint Community Shield Match. RailHawks 2015 Individual Game Tickets and Ticket Packages are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Johnson Maserati Box Office at (919) 459-8144 or by clicking here. Individual game tickets start as low as $11. For more information on Season Tickets and Flex Plans, visit www.carolinarailhawks.com. Keep up with all RailHawks news by following them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
The Carolina RailHawks added another talented defender to the roster on Thursday, with the signing of Gambian international Mamadou “Futty” Danso ahead of the 2015 season.
“We were looking to add an experienced center back. Futty has ties to the RailHawks because he played for our U-23 team and feels identified with our structure,” said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. “We are very excited to have him, he is going to be a great support for us defensively.”
The 31-year-old center back joins the team after enjoying success at the RailHawks’ U-23 level back in 2008, when he played in the USL Premier Development League.
Danso played college soccer at North Carolina Wesleyan College and Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, where he scored 35 goals while playing both the defender and forward positions. He was a two-time All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection, was named SSAC’s 2007 Newcomer of the Year following his first season at SPSU, became the first Hornet to receive All-America honors in 2008 and was named to the honorable-mention team. In 2009, he was signed by the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division.
Danso played in 16 games as a rookie with the second-division Timbers and was a member of the Timbers backline that shared the league lead for fewest goals allowed during the regular season. He eventually aided the club to a first-place finish in the USL First Division and the 2009 USL First Division Commissioner’s Cup. Danso logged 2,950 minutes with the USSF Division 2 before the team joined MLS. He would eventually clock 5,437 with the Timbers senior team and score a career-high three goals.
Danso then joined Montreal Impact and played five games with the USL team before he joined the senior team, where he registered 231 minutes in three matches. On the international scene, Danso took part in 10 games with the Gambian national team.
You can follow Mamadou on Twitter @Futty98.
The RailHawks roster is now comprised of 17 players: two goalkeepers (Hunter Gilstrap and Brian Sylvestre), five defenders (Connor Tobin, Daniel Scott, Austen King, Kupono Low and Mamadou Danso), eight midfielders (Nazmi Albadawi, Tiyi Shipalane, Leo Osaki, Neil Hlavaty, Mark Anderson, Wells Thompson, Austin Da Luz and Chris Nurse) and two forwards (Nacho Novo and Simone Bracalello).
Danso and the RailHawks will open the 2015 preseason at home against Seoul E-Land FC, in the 7th Annual Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint Community Shield Match. RailHawks 2015 Individual Game Tickets and Ticket Packages are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Johnson Maserati Box Office at (919) 459-8144 or by clicking here. Individual game tickets start as low as $11. For more information on Season Tickets and Flex Plans, visit www.carolinarailhawks.com. Keep up with all RailHawks news by following them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
