By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Nairobi City Stars recent signing Japanese striker Yuto Kusaba has been locked out of the first leg of the FKF Premier League.
Kusaba will be unavailable for the first part of the 2023-24 FKF Premier League season, according to the club’s chief executive officer Patrick Korir
He said it emerged thereafter that international guidelines of the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) had not been met prior to his move to Simba wa Nairobi locking him out of the first leg of the season.
The CEO however noted that the position can only be rectified in the next international transfer window that reopens in January 2024.
Based on the foregoing, Yuto, a former player with St. Andrews University, and Basara Hyogo in Japan before coming to Kenya as a volunteer with an Embu-based NGO, where he got the opportunity to feature for FC Zenshin, will have to wait beyond the year 2023 to have a feel of the Kenyan topflight.
Yuto transferred to Nairobi City Stars in the past week from Embu-based FC Zenshin, a fourth-tier side featuring in FKF Division Two (Northern Zone), in time for the new season.
Earlier, Yuto has expressed his excitement after signing for Simba wa Nairobi.
“I have become the first Asian player in the Kenya Premier League!!!!!! It’s not the exact image I admired that day, but after struggling and persevering, the scenery here in Kenya is my treasure. I’ll score some points,” he posted on social media site X.
During the transfer window, City Stars signed nine players. The nine include two goalkeepers: Julius Ombacho from Luanda Villa, and Edwin Mukolwe from Bidco United.
Also joining Simba wa Nairobi are centreback Wycliffe Omondi and defensive midfielder Brian Omondi Mzee from National Super League sides Migori Youth and Kibera Black Stars, respectively.
Experienced center-back Sosthenes Idah has also joined Nairobi City Stars. His last workstation was Polisi Tanzania.
Two wingers: Robinson Asenwa from third-tier side Vapor Sports, and teenager Gilbert Abala from lower-tier side Busia Sugar FC, are also in for the season.
Strikers Brian Mose Nyambane and Kusaba from Division Two sides Total Spurs (Narok), and FC Zenshin (Embu), correspondingly, complete the singings for the season.
