 As Manta left high school to enter the Polytechnic University Faculty of Material Science and Engineering in 1961, he left Progresul-Bucureşti and joined the Sportul Studenţesc (known at that time as "Stiinta Bucureşti").In the gym halls from "Regie", he played under the coaches St. Miu and M. Maksay and also alongside Mircea Lucescu.Manta made his debut with Progresul on 1 October 1967, against Dinamo Bacau which Progresul lost 3-1, under the coaching of Penita Moldoveanu, Florin Stirbei and Cornel Dragusin.