Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Nairobi City Stars have confirmed the departure of seven players.
Anthony Kimani, who has so far retired after a lengthy career that spanned almost two decades; Kennedy Onyango, who has moved to Gor Mahia; and Herrit Mungai. Mungai is training with FKF Premier League side Ulinzi Stars, but it has not been confirmed that the player will ink a deal with the Soldiers.
Jacob Osano and Steve Njunge, an experienced goalkeeper, are the other players who have left Simba wa Nairobi. Salim Abdallah and Ezekiel Odera, who had been suspended for allegations of match-fixing, make up the list of players leaving.
Kimani’s pride
Kimani, popularly known as Muki, leaves the club as a legend, specifically because he helped them get back to the Premier League.
“In 2016, while at Bandari, I scored goals against City Stars that largely contributed to their relegation.
“Being my first Premier League club, I always felt obliged to return to City Stars and guide them back to where they belonged, and that is what informed my return in 2019,” Kimani said while he confirmed his exit.
Onyango is understood to have signed a two-year deal with Gor Mahia, and City Stars‘ Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Korir, lauded the defender.
“He is the kind of player you never want to let go. Good-hearted, straightforward, and the type that just came to the ground, performed his role with a 150 percent commitment, and went home.
“He never took losses kindly; he’d go straight to a corner, look down, and never want anyone to talk to him for even up to an hour. The offer from Gor came at a time when he was extending his contract with Simba wa Nairobi for the upcoming season,” Korir told a local media outlet.
Match-fixing claims
Odera and Abdalla found themselves in a tight corner following an investigation by FKF on allegations of match-fixing.
“As part of ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of the FKF Leagues and Competitions, Football Kenya Federation has provisionally suspended two individuals pending investigations into their alleged involvement in match manipulation.
“The two, Ezekiel Odera and Salim Abdallah are set to appear before the FKF Integrity Department for a thorough inquiry into the matter,” FKF said in a statement when they confirmed the suspension of the two.
