•Right back Kevin Chumsy Okumu is back at Nairobi City Stars. He returns to the club on loan from Wazito FC, for the rest of the season.
•The club’s assistant coach Nihad Nalbantic has returned home to Bosnia-Herzegovina
Image: Courtesy
Kenya Premier side Nairobi City Stars have released stopper Tedian Esilaba as well as wingers David Gateri and Nahashon Thiong’o.
Thiong’o has now been cleared to join National Super League (NSL) side Mwatate United where he will link up with two former City Stars players, Cornelius Mwangi and striker Stephen Mwangi, who left the club in December 2019.
Gateri has moved to KPL newbies Bidco United while Esilaba, who joined Simba wa Nairobi on a short term deal in January 2020 from NSL side Fortune Sacco, is headed to AFC Leopards.
At the same time, right back Kevin 'Chumsy' Okumu is back at Nairobi City Stars. He returns to the club on loan from Wazito FC for the rest of the season.
Chumsy served City Stars for four years but left mid last year at the expiry of his contract.
The return of the versatile Chumsy to Simba wa Nairobi is a big boost to the backline especially the right channel that lacked a natural fit.
“The beauty of his return is that he rejoins a setup that understands him well as he will find the same band of coaches and players he left behind when he left. He is most welcome home and now it is upon him to reclaim his old position in the team,” said team coordinator Samson Otieno told the club’s official portal.
Chumsy, a key member of City Stars promotion lot last season, made his Premier League debut while at Wazito during the clubs’ opening game against Kariobangi Sharks but found playtime hard to come by thereafter hence his return to a team he joined back in mid 2016 from Young Rovers.
While he was away, the right back position was interchangeably claimed by Wycliffe Otieno and Azizi Okaka. Meanwhile, the club’s assistant coach Nihad Nalbantic has returned home to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the club announced on Friday.
Nihad, 66, arrived at the onset of October 2020 alongside head coach Sanjin Alagic to set up structures as the team prepared for the Premier League for the first time in four years following promotion at the close of last season.
“Nihad is no longer with the team following the completion of his mission which included setting up key training programmes and methodology," said club CEO Patrick Korir.
"We appreciate all the work he put in and for his professional approach that saw the team make a successful start to the top league. We wish him all the best in his future assignments.”
Prior to coming to Kenya Nihad, a former professional goalkeeper, had coached clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kuwait as well as in Slovakia.