Agesa believes he’s sharper now, thanks fans for their support

Marauding forward Davis Beast Agesa is excited about his progressive step-up from season start, where he had an injury, to a point he’s hitting the full revs.

Agesa, City Stars top assist provider last season, has so far featured in 15 of the 17 games played this season and has registered a goal and two assists while largely operating as an offensive player.

“Personally, my graph wasn’t consistent for the first part of the season majorly because I missed the pre-season due to hamstring injury. Coupled with rehab, I was struggling with my fitness. With games coming in thick and fast, it gave room to accumulation of fatigue. But I push and I give 100% every time I don the City Stars jersey,”

“I can say that for the last four matches I’ve felt sharper and at the same level that I was the previous season. I now march on and keep the concentration with a desire for more knowing what I can give to my team,”

Beyond his own progress, Agesa has come out to thank fans for all their support this season.

“Thanks to our supportive fans who give us the strength to go out there to do our best and to work even harder. It’s been an interesting season so far as denoted by our current (second) position on the table. Come the end of the season I believe we will achieve something special and our fans will be proud of us.” he added

Agesa has started in 12 games and has gone on to clock 875 minutes.

KCB, Agesa

Davis Agesa in Nairobi City Stars’ second Premier League game against KCB at Kasarani on Fri 4 Dec 2020. KCB won it 1-0

Davis Agesa, City Stars

Davis Agesa up against Posta Rangers’ Dickens Mwenda during a friendly at the Jamhuri Park on Fri 7 May 2021. Agesa opened the scoring in the first half. It ended 1-1.

Davis Agesa provided two assists as City Stars saw off Nzoia Sugar 2-0 at Narok Stadium in their opening 2020/21 Premier League game on Sun 29 Nov 2020

Nairobi City Stars, Agesa, Okumu, Ombija

Kevin Okumu and Erick Ombija (24) celebrate with goal scorer Davis Agesa during a friendly against Dagoretti Santos at the Public Service Club, Upperhill on Tue 11 May 2021. Simba wa Nairobi won the game 2-0

Kenedy 'Vidic' Onyango
Stopper Kenedy 'Vidic' Onyango in action against KAriobangi Sharks on Sat 5 Feb 2022 at Kasarani Annex. City Stars won 10

Kenedy Onyango: So far so good

The 2021/22 FKF Premier League season is going as planned, so says big unit Kenedy Onyango aka Vidic.

The center half, now in his second season with Simba wa Nairobi, reflects on the first set of games played, as he looks at the horizon for the final game of the season.

“So far so good and I thank God for everything. Personally, I am happy with my performance during the first leg of the season and pray to even improve in the second leg through hard work as there is always room for improvement,”

City Stars currently sits second in the 18-team log with 31 points garnered from the 17 games played so far.

Simba wa Nairobi is now within three points of Vidic’s immediate former employer Kakamega Homeboyz. The second placing is pleasing to him;

“Collectively as a team, we’ve done well so far but the focus and hunger to achieve our seasons’ targets is still on course till the last game of the season,”

Of the 17 games played by City Stars, Vidic has been in the team set up 15 times and has gone on to feature in 12. Three times he was left on the bench and once he came on in the second half, but has gone on to complete a full eleven games.

“There’s healthy competition in the team but through the “yes we can” mentality, we’ve really improved as a team,”

What does the second leg hold?

“It is said, a good day becomes evident in the morning, the first leg was our morning and hope it will end up great come evening (second leg). It’s not over until it’s over, we keep fighting up to the last game, the last whistle.” added Onyango

With Vidic staying optimistic, City Stars kick off the second half of the season with a 416 Km road trip to Sudi to face Nzoia Sugar on Sunday 13 February 2022.

Kenedy Vidic Onyango, City Stars

City Stars stopper Kenedy ‘Vidic’ Onyango clebrates his maiden league goal during a 3-1 win over Wazito on Thur 21 Oct 2021 at Thika Stadium

Nairobi City Stars

Kenedy ”Vidic’ Onyango takes on a Posta Rangers player during a 7th round Premier League game on Fri 8 Jan 2021 at Kasarani. The game ended 1-1

Augustine Kuta
Augustine Kuta ushered in to Nairobi City Stars by team coordinator Samson Otieno

Kuta elated at second chance

New signing Augustine Kuta is aiming high after arriving at Nairobi City Stars in the mid transfer window.

The midfielder joined Simba wa Nairobi from Kibera Black Stars for the remainder of the current 2021/22 FKF Premier League season in early February 2022.

Kuta is appreciative of the fact that his career was as good as gone after suffering a knee injury while at Western Stima in 2020, his only other workstation in the Premier League.

“I join the club with high hopes of winning my first silverware in top-flight football,”

“My greatest achievement will be being able to recover from a knee injury surgery and getting a second chance to play top-flight again,”

“I am happy to be here. I will give it my all to help the team.” added Kuta

Kuta adds competitiveness to the squad as he adds options to creative, attacking, and offensive positions.

Odera
Striker Ezekiel Odera goes for the ball ahead of a Kariobangi Sharks player during a league game on Sat 5 Feb 2022. Odera's lone goal settled the game at 1-0

Odera ties Bageya’s goal tally, eyes all-time record

Ezekiel Odera’s lone goal that delivered a 1-0 win over Kariobangi Sharks on Saturday 6 February 2022 has brought him ever so close to the 30-goal mark at Nairobi City Stars.

The goal, his fifth this season, but 13th in the premier league over three seasons, saw him catch up with former club stalwart Jimmy Bageya on 29 goals.

Club legend Arthur Museve, now a trainer with the club is on 31 goals, one ahead of immediate former Simba wa Nairobi striker Ebrima Sanneh.

Legends Justus Basweti and Francis Thairu are the only two players to have scored over 34 goals each at City Stars.

“All those records are an attraction to me and are the reason that spurs my performance,”

“I want to score goals that help the club achieve its’s targets but ultimately I wish to be the record goalscorer by the close of the season,” added Odera

In 2016, his first season at City Stars, Odera top-scored with four premier league goals and added one more in the domestic cup.

He went on to top-score for the club with eleven goals the next season in the National Super League (NSL).

After that season he took up other challenges only to return to City Stars at the onset of 2020 where he scored three league goals in the NSL contributing to the clubs’ promotion at the close of the coronavirus-halted 2019/20 season.

In the 2020/21 Premier League season, Odera scored four league goals and one in the domestic cup and has since added another five league goals in the current 2021/22 Premier league campaign that is halfway through.

Summary of Ezekiel Odera’s goals at City Stars

2016 – 4+1*
2017 – 11
2019/20 – 3
2020/21 – 4+1*
2021/22 – 5**

* Domestic Cup
** season ongoing

Odera, Tusker, City Stars

Striker Ezekiel Odera celebrates his 53rd minute goal that handed Nairobi City Stars a 1-0 win over Tusker on Fri 30 July 2021 in Ruaraka

City Stars, Odera, Maloba

Ezekiel Odera mobbed by Oliver Maloba after his goal against Vihiga Bullets on Sat 6 Nov 2021 in Ruaraka. City Stars won the duel 4-0

City Stars, Odera

Nairobi City Stars striker Ezekiel Odera sandwiched by KCB players during the 34th and final FKF Premier League game at Narok Stadium Sun 22 Aug 2021. KCB won it 3-0

City Stars

Goal scorer pats assist provider Oliver Maloba after City Stars went ahead against Kariobangi Sharks at Kasarani Annex on Sat 6 Feb 2022. City stars won the game 1-0

City Stars
City vs Bidco at Thika Stadium on Sun 24 Oct 2021. City Stars won the game 2-0 to go top of the log

City Stars squad for 2021/22 FKF Premier League second leg

Nairobi City Stars concluded its activity in the month-long mid-transfer window that shut on Monday 7 February 2022 with the arrival of two midfielders; Mohammed Bajaber and Augustine Kuta.

While Kuta came in as a direct replacement for Ebrima Sanneh who has since left the club, Bajaber aka Hamudi arrived as player 31 on loan from Star Field Academy.

Save for Sanneh’s exit, the City Stars squad that started the season remains as is.

Second leg squad

Goalkeepers (3); 1. Elvis Ochoro, 16. Jacob Osano, 23. Stephen Njunge

Defenders (9): 4. Salim Abdalla, 8. Calvin Masawa (overall captain), 12. Edwin Buliba, 19. Kevin Okumu, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 28. Herit Mungai

Midfielders (14): 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo, 3. Charles Otieno, 5. Mike Madoya, 6. Ronney Kola, 7. Rodgers Okumu, 10. Peter Opiyo, 14. Rowland Makati, 15. John Kamau, 18. Sven Yidah, 20. Timothy Noor Ouma, 21. Oliver Maloba, 29. Augustine Kuta, 30. Anthony Kimani (field captain), 31. Mohammed Bajaber

Strikers (5): 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth, 11. Davis Agesa, 17. Nicholas Kipkirui, 24. Erick Ombija, 32. Ezekiel Odera

Mohammed Bajaber

Mohammed Bajaber ‘Hamudi’ smiles away as he officially joined Nairobi City Stars on Fri 4 Feb 2022