Record 18-time Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia have signed Rwandese midfielder Djabel Imanishimwe ahead of the 2019/2020 season that kicks off on August 29, 2019.
The two sides are believed to have reached a deal on Sunday, ending Djabel’s five-year stay with the Kigali side.
Gor Mahia chief executive officer, Lordvick Aduda, was in Kigali, Rwanda to fine tune the deal believed to be worth around Sh3 million. He said they will announce the finer details through the club portal as soon as they complete the terms and conditions.
“We have been trailing the midfielder for long and with Francis Kahata, who is on international duty with Harambee stars in Egypt for the African cup of nations set t leave, we have to move in fast to bring in his ideal replacement”. Said Aduda.
Djabel, 21, joins the swelling list of Rwandese imports who have done duty at K'Ogalo. Others are striker Jacques Tuyisenge who left at the end of last season, Meddie Kagere, who joined Simba in 2018 and Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza who played for only a season in 2017.
The Rwanda giants through their club twitter account thanked the midfielder for his services and wished him well in his next venture.
Djabel starred during 2018 Caf Confederations Cup meetings between Gor and Rayon. During his five years stay at Rayon, he won four major trophies and managed 29 goals and 53 assists
He becomes the first foreigner to sign K'Ogalo, however, it is not yet clear whether he will be available for the Cecafa Kagame Cup set for Rwanda from July 6-21.
Meanwhile, three youth team players will have an opportunity to make names for themselves with record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia.
The trio was promoted into the senior squad ahead of the start of the 2019/2020 season. “Alphonse Omija (central defender), Caleb Omondi (goalkeeper) and Samuel Osoo (Striker) have been instrumental in Gor Mahia Youth’s splendid run in the Football Kenya Federation National Division II Eastern Zone league that concludes in a matter of days with K’Ogalo juniors at the summit.
The trio already linked up with the senior team for pre-season training after signing long term contracts with the club,” read a club statement. Omija is a central defender who joined the youth side at the start of 2019 after featuring for the national Under-17 team.
The 18-year-old has penned a six-year contract and will gain priceless experience under the tutelage of the esteemed first-team technical staff and mingling in training with internationally acclaimed defenders at the club.
Omondi, on the other hand, has been the youth team’s safe pair of hands since 2018 and graduates to compete for starting place in the senior team with the likes of Boniface Oluoch and Fredrick Odhiambo. Omondi stood tall in the inaugural Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom, where the team cleared all hurdles but stumbled in the final.
Also promoted to the senior team is scoring machine Samuel Osoo. The 19-year-old netted 30 goals in the 2018/2019 season with five goals coming in his last two games. Osoo is versatile and can play out wide when called upon. Osoo and Omondi have also penned six-year contracts with Gor Mahia.
