•Opiyo, however, said the club will still need to add a few experienced players.
•He said the club is professionally run just like some of those he turned out for in Europe and Asia.
Image: ANGWENYI GICHANA
Nairobi City Stars will be a force to reckon with in the Kenya Premier League next season, according to the club's midfielder Peter 'Pinchez' Opiyo.
Opiyo, however, said the club will still need to add a few experienced players.
“The promotion announcement was one of my happiest moments. The players I found in the team had already played their part and it was only a matter of time before City Stars were declared National Super League champions,” said the experienced player.
He added: “With the support of the club's President Jonathan Jackson and the coach Sanjin Alagic, we only need to add a few more quality players to help the already able playing unit.”
Commenting on his shock move to the second tier side in January 2020, Opiyo said: “Joining City Stars was a very easy decision to make. I loved the vision of the President Jonathan Jackson, the quality of the coach and the players who had joined the club. That sealed my decision.”
He said the club is professionally run just like some of those he turned out for in Europe and Asia.
“Besides, I loved the young enthusiastic players in the club such as Chumsy Kevin 'Chumsy' Okumu, Oliver Maloba and Charles Otieno. Collectively, the team has a good blend of players from the young to the experienced and they are all raring go,” he told the club’s official website.
The pass master revealed that his career lows include missing opportunities at German side Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2009 and South African sides Maritzburg United, SuperSport United and Vasco Da Gama a few years later, and a near miss to the Danish topflight in 2015.
Opiyo, however, adds that his highs were aplenty including being named the 2009 Kenyan Premier League Midfielder of the Year, runner up Young Player of the Year and runners-up Player of the Year.
"Winning the Premier League title with Tusker in 2012, the domestic title at AFC Leopards in 2013 as well as the coveted Cecafa Senior challenge Cup with Harambee Stars the same year after a 19-year hiatus were the other major achievements," he added.
He has beeb capped 34 times for the national team and has had professional stints in Oman, Qatar, Finland and Turkmenistan.
He aspires to go into farming, becoming a football agent and physical coach when he hangs up his boots.
He named coach Sammy Omollo ‘Pamzo’ as one of the local coaches who inspired him. Others are former Harambee Stars coaches German Antoine Hey and Adel Amrouche.
“Then came the best, Alexie Eremenko (Finnish coach at FF Jaro in 2016). He basically brought all those together, taught me football afresh, added a bit of quality and positioning in the game,” he added.