Sofapaka are on the verge of signing a Rwandese defender ahead of the new season.
Even though Football Kenya Federation is yet to open the transfer window, Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa said he has been hot on the heels of the defender for long and can’t wait for the dates to be announced to complete the deal.
He, however, declined to disclose the identity of the player for fear of losing him to his deep pocketed rivals.
“We identified the player long time ago but we did not reach an agreement with his parent club. He is a talented central defender who can also play as a full back and we are looking to add him to our squad. He is in the final days of his contract and he is likely to join us a free agent. We have also held discussions with close family members who work in the country and I believe it is just a matter of time before we capture his signature,” he said.
At the same time, the Congolese businessman said the club will be seeking to sign at least five players to beef the squad in readiness for the new season.
Apart from the Rwandese player, Kalekwa hinted on snapping two local players whose performances caught the eyes of his technical bench.
He also expressed interest in joining the race to sign Kenyan international Musa Mohammed who is currently a free agent after his contract with 12-time Zambian champions Nkana FC expired at the start of the month. Musa, in a previous interview with Madgoat TV, said he was close to joining the club after his return from Albania in April 2018.
“We don’t want to bring many players this time round but the bench needs at least five new ones. There are those whom we are looking to release after failing to agree on the new terms they were proposing while others will leave to get playing time elsewhere. We have also identified two local players whom we believe will add value to the club. I am also aware that Musa is in the market and I think he is a player every coach in KPL wishes to have in his team,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kalekwa expressed confidence in getting justice for the controversial transfer of his former striker John Avire. The burly striker joined FC Tanta who ply their trade in the Egyptian league last year and according to Sofapaka and FKF, the move was done unprofessionally.
Avire made his debut for the club in March after they got the green light to register him from Zurich. “He remains our property and I am certain at the end of the day, I will get justice. The right procedures for the transfer of players were not followed and we will look to pressure Fifa to re-look into the matter once normalcy returns,” he added.
