Ryan McAidoo: Ghanaian Teenager Scores on Manchester City Debut in Exeter Rout
- Ryan McAidoo scored on his first Manchester City appearance, becoming the first Academy player involved in this season’s FA Cup for the club
- Manchester City crushed Exeter 10-1, equaling their biggest-ever win and showcasing a ruthless front-three of Semenyo, McAidoo, and Haaland
- McAidoo has impressed across multiple youth competitions and seamlessly transitioned to Premier League 2, signalling his rapid development and bright future at City
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Ghanaian-born English youngster Ryan McAidoo made a memorable first appearance as Manchester City cruised past Exeter City in the FA Cup on Saturday.
On what proved to be a historic day at the Etihad, City overwhelmed Exeter 10-1 in the third round of the FA Cup, sealing their place in Monday’s fourth-round draw and equaling the club’s biggest-ever win.
The result matched a 10-1 triumph over Huddersfield Town at Maine Road back in 1987.
Source: Twitter
While new signing Antoine Semenyo stole headlines by scoring a debut goal and providing an assist in a man-of-the-match display, 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo also showcased his talent with a superb second-half strike, capping off an impressive debut performance, per Sports Mole.
Ryan McAidoo scores on Man City debut
Pep Guardiola fielded an exciting front-three featuring Semenyo, McAidoo, and Erling Haaland, all of whom were ruthless in attack.
City dominated possession and went into the break 4-0 up, despite registering just three shots on target. Exeter City, meanwhile, may have felt hard done by after creating a number of promising chances and even scoring two own goals.
The scoring continued after the restart. Rico Lewis made it 5-0 before Semenyo added his debut goal to make it 6-0 by the hour mark. Tijjani Reijnders struck a brilliant goal for the seventh, while substitute Nico O’Reilly headed home an eighth.
Source: Getty Images
The spotlight then turned to Ryan McAidoo, who netted the ninth with minutes remaining, celebrating the moment with his family.
Watch video of Ryan McAidoo celebrating scoring on his senior debut for Man City below:
Exeter pulled one back late through a George Birch wondergoal, but Lewis’ second goal sealed a breathtaking 10-1 victory for City, per Sky Sports.
Who is Ryan McAidoo?
The 17-year-old winger has impressed across multiple competitions this season, including the Premier League 2, FA Youth Cup, UEFA Youth League, Premier League International Cup, and EFL Trophy.
McAidoo became the first Academy player to feature in City’s FA Cup fixture and the club’s seventh debutant in 2025/26, per Mancity.com.
Having joined City’s Academy in the summer of 2024, McAidoo made an immediate impact, scoring 10 goals in 19 Under-18 Premier League North appearances to help City claim the North title.
Known for his pace and technical ability, he also excelled on the European stage with six goal involvements in nine UEFA Youth League games, helping City reach the quarter-finals.
This season, McAidoo has represented England at the Under-17 World Cup and seamlessly transitioned to Premier League 2 football, registering one goal and two assists in five appearances as he continues to develop under Ben Wilkinson’s Elite Development Squad. His debut performance against Exeter underlines his potential to become a future star for Manchester City.
Semenyo reacts after equalling Aguero's record
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Antoine Semenyo reacted to his dream Manchester City debut, where he scored and assisted in his first game.
The Ghanaian became the first City debutant since Sergio Agüero in 2011 to achieve that feat.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
