Centre back Brian Opinde Onyango became the latest player in the Nairobi City Stars rank to be scale up to Kenyan Premier league status after making his debut on Monday 28 October, 2024 in Machakos.
Opinde, signed in the offseason after turning out in Safaricom Chapa Dimba for PASC Langa, and for Langas Superstars, a fourth tier side turning out in Division 2, and based in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, made a cameo appearance – for his premier league debut – in a 2-1 win over champions Gor Mahia.
In the lead up to that game, Opinde had made the matchday squad in the previous five games against Sofapaka, Mara Sugar, AFC Leopards, Sofapaka, and Kakamega Homeboyz.
He talked up his new status, and it’s meaning;
“It was a very good experience. I wasn’t quite expecting my debut to come on that day. But when it did, it made me happy, as we went on to defend a lead for the first win of the season,”
“The debut impacts massively on my career, and now that it has come and gone, I look forward to many more league games,” added Opinde
In earning his maiden league game against Gor Mahia, Opinde follows in the footsteps of Pius Omachi who earned his debut against the same side in February 2023 in Kasarani, Robinson Asenwa and Abuyeka Kubasu at the same venue in September 2023, and Shem Odinga in Machakos in February 2024.
Overall, Opinde became the 24th City Stars premier league debutant under coach Nicholas Muyoti, coming right after Rogers Wasega, since the 2021-22 FKF Premier League season.