Departing players plunge Western Stima in blackout

Kisumu based Western Stima are on the verge of complete disarray barely months after suffering the painful wrath of being relegated from the top flight Football Kenya Federation Premier League after finishing bottom of the league standings in the 2020/2021 season.

Just two weeks since the league’s conclusion, a vital part of the Stima squad that would have played a key part in seeking immediate promotion back to the top tier league have already ditched the club and jumped ships in search of top-flight football.

Highly-rated teenage sensation Rodgers Ouma is on the verge of sealing his dream move to Tusker, experienced winger Baron Oketch joined Biashara United, striker Michael Karamor and defender Clinton Bulimo have joined Kakamega Homeboyz while centre back Kennedy Owino has signed with Stanley Okumbi’s Posta Rangers.

With the team’s head coach, Abdallah Juma, faced with the arduous task of steering the team back into the top tier league, the situation at the club is made even more difficult with the fact that no official communication has been made in terms of planning on how to take matters in the country’s second-tier especially when it comes to making signings to plug the gap left by the departing players who leave as they please.

“I cannot tell you with surety as to who has left because the players just sneak on their way out without mentioning to anyone. I cannot even say who has left because we were supposed to have a team meeting to plan on our affairs but that has not happened. NSL is not an easy league. It is very hard and demanding and it needs the right organization in order to survive. When we finished the league we needed to do some recruitment so as to take in new players who could help us."

"We have also not done that yet as communication from the club officials has gone silent. Due to my previous experience in the NSL, I reckon we need around thirty players to survive and be better placed by the time the first leg comes to an end. What is left is just for us to keep waiting and hope things go according to plan and that we make the right adjustments. Without the right preparation, I am afraid it will be very hard,” the coach said.