Sacramento Republic signs seven youth academy players; Nabi nabs USL honors

Sacramento Republic called up seven players from its youth academy teams Thursday as the team looks to give young players some time playing against USL competition. Amjot Narang, Josemaria Barrera, Daniel Govea, Giovanni Ceja, Fernando “Pepe” Venegas, John Pablo Cortez and Jonathan Dadzie all signed academy contracts, meaning they retain NCAA eligibility but can play against other pros.

Also, the team announced Thursday nine academy players have committed to college programs, with many leaving soon to begin college play. They include: Erik Centeno, University of Pacific; Ulises Esquivel, Washington; Jorge Galvan, University of Pacific; Maxwell Johnson, UC Santa Barbara; Mason Pahule, Colgate; Ian Reis, Sonoma State; Aris Yang, Cal State Fullerton; Armando Jimenez, Sacramento State; Amjot Narang, UCLA.

“Our academy teams, players and coaches continue to shine on the biggest stage, and we’re proud of how they have represented the city and club,” said Republic FC general manager Todd Dunivant in a news release. “Amjot, Josemaria, Daniel, Gio, Pepe, JP and Jonathan have shown that they are eager to compete at the highest levels, and we’re excited to help them continue to grow. Our academy staff deserves a tremendous amount of credit for developing these talented players, as well as encouraging them to take the next step – whether it be moving to the pros or into an elite college program.”

According to the team, in the last 17 months, players from Republic FC’s academy system have logged over 1,500 minutes in USL league play.

Goal of the week

The Quails also made news Thursday online, with Nabi Kibunguchy’s last-second goal against Orange County winning the fans’ choice award for goal of the week.

“Basically, I just wanted to go in and compete. I knew if I got my chance, I’d be ready to take the opportunity ... ready to impact the game in whatever position I was put in,” said Kibunguchy following Saturday’s match. “I was blessed to score the goal and take advantage of the opportunity.”

The 2-2 tie with Orange County kept Sacramento’s playoff hopes alive. The Quails are three points behind Las Vegas for the last playoff spot in the Pacific division with more than half of the season remaining. Sacramento hosts New York Red Bulls II on Saturday night.