Nairobi City Stars

Tag: Oliver Maloba

  • Opiyo, Agesa back against Nairobi Stima

    Opiyo, Agesa back against Nairobi Stima

    Striker Davis Agesa and keeper Levis Opiyo are back in Nairobi City Stars lineup for the upcoming round 28 Betika Super League (BSL) clash with Nairobi Stima clash at Camp Toyoyo on Saturday 14 March 2020.

    Agesa plugs in to a vacuum left by another striker Ezekiel Odera who misses out for the same reasons that saw him out in the last game; two yellow cards from the previous game.

    Opiyo too returns from suspension to send debutant against AP Bomet Jacob Osano back to bench which in effect sees Ronny Kagunzi fall off the match day 18 squad.

    Other than Osano, there will be two other changes on the bench. Gambian striker Ebrima Sanneh and defensive mid Eric Ochieng make an entry in place of Jimmy Bageya and Charles Otieno Oduro.

    Bageya suffered a ligament tear in the AP Bomet game while Charles is yet to fully recover from a similar tear from previous games.

    Bageya and Otieno join recovering striker Vincent Otieno on the sidelines. Oliver Maloba who recently returned to the club is not yet fully fit.

    Nairobi City Stars lineup vs Nairobi Stima

    Starting XI: 23. Levis Opiyo, 8. Calvin Masawa, 4. Salim Abdalla, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 30. Anthony Kimani – Captain, 12. Edwin Buliba, 2. Elvis Ojiambo, 10. Peter Opiyo, 25. David Gateri, 27. Azizi Okaka, 11. Davis Agesa

    Subs: 1. Ronny Kagunzi, 17. Noah Abich. 6. Tedian Esilaba, 5. Wesley Onguso, 15. John Kamau, 26. Ebrima Sanneh, 2. Eric Ochieng

    Out: 19. Jimmy Bageya, 3. Charles Otieno, 9. Vincent Otieno, (all injured) 32. Ezekiel Odera (suspended), 28. Kevin Okumu, 17. Oliver Maloba, 1. Ronny Kagunzi

  • Maloba returns

    Maloba returns

    After weeks out, Nairobi City Stars offensive midfielder Oliver Maloba is back at the club.

    Maloba, whose trail had gone cold on the club since the second week of February, met the club honchos on Monday and after lengthy discussions was allowed back in training starting on Tuesday.

    Speaking on the matter club CEO Patrick Korir said;

    “We chose to take a pragmatic view of the matter. After productive talks we have accepted his apology and he is now back in training,”

    Upon meeting his team-mates in Tuesday sessions a remorseful Maloba said;

    “I apologies to the club and my fellow players for staying out without communicating. Let’s leave what happened behind. I am back and fully committed to give my all to keep the ship sailing.”

    Maloba has now been challenged by head coach Sanjin Alagic to work his way back to the team as his position has already been grabbed by other deserving players.

    “Staying out for a month means all work done since July last year is lost. He has another few weeks to work on basics then work his way up to the team.”

  • City Stars player Maloba goes AWOL

    City Stars player Maloba goes AWOL

    For unknown reasons Nairobi City Stars superstar Oliver Maloba has taken to the length of not showing up in training, and for league games, for three and a half weeks now.

    Going absent without without official leave for Maloba has puzzled Nairobi City Stars establishment who are in the dark over his whereabouts as he is unreachable on his regular telephone lines.

    According to City Stars team coordinator Samson Otieno, the gifted Maloba,  an offensive midfielder, last appeared in training on Tuesday 11 February 2020, three days after a league game against Coast Stima at Camp Toyoyo.

    “That Tuesday he showed up for training after two rest days. That was the last time we saw him. We can’t reach him on his phone lines, and we have no idea where he is or what he is up to. We are only receiving bits and pieces of information on his whereabouts but nothing satisfactory,”

    “We had a game the other day at Toyoyo against Kenya Police and we were at pains to explain to the fans why he was missing from the match day squad. He has always been a crowd favorite and most of them come to watch him. We now want the same fans to help us track him down,” added Otieno

    Team coach Sanjin Alagic is equally lost following Maloba’s absenteeism.

    “I left for a two-week holiday after the Coast Stima game and when I returned, I was given information that he only appeared once for training once. I have sent several players and members of the technical bench to look for him he is still yet to show up in training. At this point we have to proceed with our plans for the rest of the season without him.”

    Commenting on the same club CEO Patrick Korir had this to say; “When a player fails to attend training and does not communicate it becomes a big concern. It’s more worrisome when he can’t be reached on the contacts provided in his status file. As club we are left with no choice but to make it public as it is now three and a half weeks since we last saw him.”

    Maloba is one of City Stars top performers at City Stars this season having scored five goals, provided six assists and named Most Valuable Player (MVP) six times from 23 games played.

  • ‘Çhumsy’, Ojiambo back against Police

    Up to eight changes have been made to the squad that lost out 3-1 to Coast Stima in the last Betika Super League (BSL) encounter as Nairobi City lineups against Kenya Police in a round 25 game at Camp Toyoyo, Jericho on Saturday 29 February 2020 starting 1pm.

    While four players are elevated to the starting lineup another four join the dugout.

    Notable inclusion is spirited Kevin ‘Chumsy’ Okumu who reclaims his right back position after sitting out three games against Vihiga United, Bidco United and Coast Stima. He sends Edwin Buliba to the bench.

    Suspension

    Elvis Ojiambo who lasted the bench in the last BSL game is back for a start in place of field skipper Anthony Muki Kimani who is suspended due accumulation of five yellow cards.

    David Gateri who also missed the last game due to an illness starts on the left win ahead of Jimmy Bageya who drops to the bench.

    Davis Agesa, a second half substitute against Coast Stima takes up the out-and-out strikers’ role in place of Gambian sharpshooter Ebrima Sanneh who has been frozen from the game due to a nagging knee injury.

    AWOL

    Defensive mid Charles Otieno Oduro and Oliver Maloba who came on as substitutes against Coast Stima are both out of the match day squad.

    While Oduro was forced out due to a nagging knee injury, Maloba misses out after going AWOL from the club for the past three weeks. His whereabouts are still unknown.

    Vincent Otieno, a bencher from the last game is under the doctor’s scanner and was rendered unavailable for the Police game.

    Overall team skipper Noah Abich returns for a game, albeit off the bench. He leads experienced Eric Ochieng and Wesley Onguso to the observers bench. Joining them is returning left footer John Kamau.

    Starting XI against Police: 23. Levis Opiyo, 8. Calvin Masawa, 4. Salim Abdalla, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 28. Kevin Okumu, 2. Elvis Ojiambo, 10. Peter Opiyo, 25. David Gateri, 27. Azizi Okaka, 32. Ezekiel Odera, 11. Davis Agesa

    Subs: 16. Jacob Osano, 17. Noah Abich. 12. Edwin Buliba, 3. Eric Ochieng, 15. John Kamau, 19. Jimmy Bageya, 5. Wesley Onguso

  • Odera, Okaka start against Stima, Sanneh is back

    Odera, Okaka start against Stima, Sanneh is back

    Head coach Sanjin Alagic has made three changes to the starting lineup as Nairobi City Stars linesup against Coast Stima at Camp Toyoyo on Saturday 8 February, 2020 starting 11 am.

    The three changes sees returning striker Ezekiel Odera and January signing Azizi Okaka start as Gambian hitman Ebrima Sanneh makes his way back after missing the last game against Bidco United.

    While it will be the first start for Odera under Sanjin, its a return to the starting eleven for Azizi since the first game of the year away to Shabana.

    The entry of the trio to the starting lineups means superstars Davis Agesa and Oliver Maloba, both of whom missed two days of training in the week due to varied illnesses, drop to the bench alongside defensive mid Elvis Noor Ojiambo.

    They join keeper Jacob Osano, Charles Otieno Oduro, Kevin Okumu and Vicent Otieno on the bench.

    David Gateri, a used sub against Bidco, falls off the squad due to illness that saw him miss training in the week.

    The backline of keeper Levis Opiyo, Wycliffe Otieno, Salim Abdalla as well as wingbacks Calvins Masawa and Edwin Buliba remains as is.

    Peter Opiyo and skipper Athony Kimani are expected to patrol the midfield as Ugandan Jimmy Bageya retains his place on the flanks.

    Lineup against Coast Stima

    23. Levis Opiyo, 8. Calvins Masawa, 4. Salim Abdalla, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 8. Edwin Buliba, 10. Peter Opiyo, 30. Antony Kimani (Captain), 29. Ebrima Sanneh, 8. Jimmy Bageya, 32. Ezekiel Odera, 27. Azizi Okaka

    Subs: 28. Kevin Okumu, 3. Charles Otieno, 11. Davis Agesa, 21. Oliver Maloba, 16. Jacob Osano, 2. Elvis Ojiambo, 16. Vincent Otieno

    Out: 5. Wesley Onguso, 17. Noah Abich, 25. David Gateri, 1. Ronny Kagunzi, 12. Eric Ochieng, 15. John Kamau, 80. Tedian Esilaba

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