Onyango: Kahata played key role for transfer to Simba SC

Kenya international Joash Onyango has revealed some details of how he ended up signing for Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC.

The burly defender was unveiled as a Simba player on Friday, just a few days after he had tabled a transfer request to leave Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

Onyango, who penned a two-year contract and also features for Kenya’s national team, has now come out to explain how he was lured to sign for Wekundu wa Msimbazi by another Kenyan in Francis Kahata, whom he played with at K’Ogalo.

“I kept talking to Francis [Kahata] since the time Simba showed keen interest in my services and he really played a major role for me to move here,” Onyango is quoted by Sokaletu.

“I had also wanted to come to Tanzania for a new challenge because I had played for four years at Gor Mahia and that was a bit a long time to be at one club, so I wanted to move out and test another challenge.

“I was talking to [Kahata] on a daily basis and he kept telling me if you come [to Simba] everything will be fine, he asked me to sign the deal and come play for Simba and that is how I ended up being a Simba player.”

In addition, the 27-year-old confirmed Simba rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) had also sought his services before he ended up signing for the champions.

“Before I signed for Simba, Yanga were also trailing me, they even talked to my agent but it did not go far, I only took seriously the deal from Simba and signed it and left out Yanga," he concluded.

Onyango’s move from Gor Mahia to Simba brings the number of players to four who have left the Kenyan champions for their Tanzanian counterparts. Others are Kahata, Meddie Kagere, and Dan Sserunkuma.

Onyango, nicknamed 'Berlin Wall' due to his defensive performances, had established himself as one of the outstanding defenders in the KPL while serving the Green Army.

He never looked back since he became a regular first-team member for Gor Mahia when Musa Mohamed left for KF Tirana of Albania in 2018, and his outstanding partnership with Harun Shakava and later on Charles Momanyi saw him consequently appointed the K’Ogalo’s assistant captain.