Manchester City’s latest academy gem, Divine Mukasa, wasted no time leaving his mark on the senior stage, registering an assist in his very first competitive outing as Pep Guardiola’s reshuffled side eased past Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
The 18-year-old, whose roots stretch from Uganda through his father to Lithuania via his mother, was thrown into the starting XI as Guardiola rotated heavily after the weekend’s draw with Arsenal. Deployed high up the pitch, Mukasa looked anything but a newcomer, brimming with confidence, willing to take risks, and quickly showcasing his intelligence in tight spaces.
Into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup ✨
🔵 0-2 🖤 @OKX pic.twitter.com/98mRIiOCKy
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 24, 2025
After two early half-chances of his own, one blocked, another comfortably stopped by Huddersfield keeper Lee Nicholls, Mukasa delivered his defining moment. A neat one-two with Phil Foden carved open the visitors’ defence, with Foden rifling home the opener off Mukasa’s return pass.
The youngster’s influence didn’t end there. His clever link-up play was again involved in the second goal, as City doubled their advantage midway through the second half, Savinho finishing off a move that once again had Mukasa’s fingerprints on it.
Significantly, Guardiola kept the teenager on for the full match, a sign of trust in his maturity and fitness on a night when most of City’s senior stars were spared minutes ahead of Saturday’s league clash with Burnley.
Highlights of our 2-0 victory against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup ▶️ pic.twitter.com/aCOsW94Wo2
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 25, 2025
For Mukasa, the debut crowns a rapid rise. Just last season, he dominated the Under-18 Premier League, racking up 19 goals and 16 assists in 30 games after swapping West Ham for City. Those performances have long had insiders drawing parallels with the early days of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis, creative talents who also graduated from City’s youth setup into Guardiola’s senior plans.
Internationally, Mukasa remains a fascinating story. England have already capped him at youth level, but Uganda, the homeland of his father, continues to dream of luring him into their fold. Wherever he ends up, Wednesday night made one thing clear: he is no longer just another academy prospect, but a player capable of shaping City’s future.
