RALEIGH, NC - The Shaw University Men's Soccer Program is pleased to announce 14 roster additions for 2024 season. The players hail from as close as right here in Raleigh/Durham to points all over the world, continuing to add to both the local community presence and the rich culture of global diversity at Shaw University.

"We took a big step forward in 2023 as a team," Shaw University Head Men's Soccer Coach Dr. Randy McClure said. "We set a program record with 9 wins and earned our first trip to the USCAA Division I National Championships. The group coming in will help us continue to raise our level and help us reach our goal of returning to the Championships in 2024."

The Bears host Emory & Henry to open their season on Thursday, Sept. 5 at Durham County Memorial Stadium Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by the Lady Bears, who are also scheduled to play Emory & Henry.

Mark Ramirez Alvarado is a freshman midfielder from Lumberton, N.C., and the program's second player in two years from Lumberton High School. Alvarado starred at Lumberton where he captained the team and twice earned all-conference honors. "Mark is an assist machine. On both his high school and club team, he put up double-digit assist numbers. Between the two teams last year, I believe he had more than 40 assists. Clearly, he is the kind of player with great field vision who is always looking to get his teammates involved. He is highly technical and calm on the ball, and he can score it as well."

William Rodriguez Ayala is a freshman defender from Durham, N.C., and the program's third player from Riverside High School. Ayala captained the team at Riverside in 2023, where he also earned team MVP honors and was named to the All-Conference team. "Billy was recommended to us by one of our current players, and in watching him play we saw first-hand what a natural competitor he is. He has good size for a defender at 6'1", and he takes charge on the field. He puts in the work, and this work ethic is what we want in our incoming players," notes McClure.

Joel Callins, Jr. is a freshman midfielder from Macon, Ga. Callins, Jr. has competed at some of the top youth levels in the U.S., including the first division of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) and the highly regarded MLS Next program. McClure says of him, "Joel is a humble young man with an incredible work ethic and passion for the game. He has good size, field vision, and movement off the ball, but more than that he just competes and wants to win. His experience and success as a youth player should propel him to great things here at Shaw."

Brynjar Johannsson is a freshman defender from Kopavogur, Iceland. The's program's first player from Iceland, Johannsson competed in the Icelandic Premier League, the top youth level in his country. "Brynjar is exactly what I was looking for in a defender," McClure says. "He has great size at 6"4", reads the game exceptionally well, and is a great teammate and leader on the field. He is a physical but patient defender who can also deliver the ball with precision from the back line. I expect Brynjar to be a dominant player for us during his career at Shaw."

Dominic Kabakollie is a transfer midfielder originally from Monrovia, Liberia. Currently studying and playing in China, Kabakollie had a decorated youth career in his home country before playing internationally and now pursuing an opportunity in the U.S. at Shaw. "Dominic is your typical blue-collar midfielder who simply puts in the defensive work, but he's also more than that," notes McClure, "He is incredibly creative and comfortable in tight spaces and has a good eye for going forward. He will be a guy that racks up assists here at Shaw."

Jacky Fulu Kiazayadioko is a freshman forward from Charlotte, N.C., where he had an outstanding career at Garinger High School helping his team in 2023 to a conference championship and individual all-conference honors. "What impressed us the most with Jacky was his ability to move off the ball and get behind the opponent's back line," notes McClure, "He possesses good size and pace and gives us another dangerous option up top, but he also defends at a very high level. He is the modern version of the wing back and as such fits our system perfectly."

Ezekiel Kwandahor-Mensah is a freshman defender and the program's second player from Canada in as many years. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Kwandahor-Mensah has enjoyed a stellar youth career. He has completed residencies with Calgary Chapel in the Canadian Premier League and with Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Academy program. He has also participated in trials with top clubs around the world. McClure comments, "What we liked about Ezekiel is his ability and confidence in both attacking and defending roles. An outside back with both size and speed, he is a stout defender but also comfortable going forward. We expect Ezekiel to have an immediate impact for us."

Ensa Manneh is a freshman forward from Raleigh, N.C. After moving to the U.S., Manneh starred at South Garner High School where he earned several accolades including all-conference honors in 2023. "I'm really intrigued by this player," says McClure, "Ensa's a local kid who had an incredible high school career. He's both an incredibly humble young man and a physical specimen—powerful, quick, agile. He's somewhat of a raw talent that flew under everyone's radar, and he may just be the find in this year's recruiting class."

Giovanni Martino is a freshman defender from Atlanta, Ga. A graduate of Weddington High School, Martino has played at the highest levels throughout his youth career, including time in the USL Academy for FC Carolinas. He also brings diverse international playing experience to Shaw, as he competed as a youth player in Portugal and Argentina. "Gio has a tremendous skill set complemented by a physical presence on the field. Even at 6'1", he is incredibly quick on his feet. Gio has a very high ceiling in the game," McClure notes.

Dillon McCrimmon is a freshman forward from Durham, N.C., where he was a standout player at Charles E. Jordan High School. McCrimmon also competed at some of the highest youth levels in the state for Inter Development Futbol. "Dillon stood out to us right away," McClure notes, "He is dynamic going forward and breaks down opponents easily in 1v1 situations. He is creative and deceptively quick, and he also puts in the work off the ball. I'm excited to have another quality local player like Dillon at Shaw."

Oscar Molander is an incoming freshman from Vallentuna, Sweden. Molander is currently competing in the Swedish fourth men's division and for for Vanersborgs FK in the nation's highest youth division. McClure notes, "One of our biggest needs coming into this season was our play in the back, especially on set pieces. Oscar gives us the physical presence we were looking for. At 6'2", he is also a great communicator and acts as a leader from the back. We expect him to be an immediate impact player."

Njabulo Nkosi is a transfer midfielder from Texas College. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Nkosi had a solid career at Texas College, where in 2023 he started in all 15 games on the team's schedule and was named defensive player of the year. McClure comments, "While I don't think that he has yet to fully grow into his frame, Jabs is already a beast. He is incredibly strong and an absolute presence on the field. His positional versatility, individual defending, and ball distribution jumped out at me right away. He is one of those special players willing to give everything for his team."

Jesus "Chito" Torres is a transfer defender from Yavapai College. From San Luis, Ariz., Torres captained the team at Yavapai, where he recorded 21 appearances over his career. In the 2023 season, Torres led Yavapai to the NJCAA Division I Region I Championship game. Coach McClure says of him, "What we liked most about Chito beyond his leadership was his ability to play both outside back positions. An incredibly hard-working and passionate player, he gives us depth in those critical wide areas."

Tanner Townsend is a freshman forward from Charlotte, N.C. Townsend is a natural striker who earned all-conference and all-region honors in 2023 at West Charlotte High School, where he also won the team's "Golden Boot" award as the team's top goal scorer. McClure notes, "Tanner came to us late in the process, but he is a player who could surprise us. We are always looking for guys who are clinical, confident, and composed finishers, and Tanner has a nose for goal. I look forward to seeing what he can do at our level."