New Sofapaka signing Roy Okal has paid a glowing tribute to Mathare United for helping him achieve a lot during his stint at the club.
Okal, who featured for the ‘Slum Boys’ for the past three seasons, finally left the club on Thursday to sign for Batoto ba Mungu on a three-year deal.
Okal has now taken to his social media pages to thank Mathare United for giving him the platform to showcase his talent and especially helping him to earn a call-up to the Kenya national team.
“Goodbyes are the hardest to tell,” Okal wrote. “It has been three years of pure bliss, great memories and stay at Mathare United.
“A pleasure it has been to don the yellow and white colours of this great club, furthering my career and growth as a person.
“Lots of achievements but national team call up crowned it all, I was privileged to have received my first call to the national team Harambee Stars while with the club. A moment that signified growth in my career.
“I want to thank everyone at Mathare United for the opportunity and good working environment and relationship and as I take up a new challenge, I want to say a big thank you and to wish you well for the new season, and may success remain part of you.”
His message comes just a day after Mathare United also penned an emotional message to the midfielder after he left the club.
“You turn a new leaf in your career at Roy Okal and though we would have wanted you to remain and play in the yellow and green until further notice, the time came calling, and we understand the need to seek new challenges,” Mathare United wrote on their social media pages.
“You served well and all we can do is wish you all the best at your new work station. Once a Slum Boy, always a Slum boy. Oh, and never ever lose that infectious smile.”
Okal was groomed at the Laiser Hill High School, an institution that has produced a number of Kenyan stars including Musa Masika, who is at Wazito FC and is a target for AFC Leopards.
The 24-year-old has played for the NSL side Ushuru FC before and had a stint in Greece too.
On Thursday, Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa confirmed to Goal they are also negotiating with Gor Mahia midfielder Lawrence Juma over a possible transfer in this window.
"We are talking to Lawrence [Juma], we have been talking and are still talking,” Kalekwa told Goal. “We gave him our offer and he asked to go scrutinize it and then get back to us, so we are waiting.
“It is a good offer, which suits the player and I am confident he will take it, but we don’t want to push him, he is a big man, who can make his own decision, so we are waiting.
“He is a quality midfielder, who can add some quality stuff to my squad, we want to build a strong squad for the new season and we are looking at the best players on the market to beef up our squad.”
Kalekwa also confirmed he had reached an agreement to bring on board two foreign players – a striker from Nigeria and a defender from Rwanda.