MOFA raids City Stars for top forward Amunike as they seek KPL qualification

The Michael Olunga Foundation Academy (MOFA) have strengthened their attacking options after signing striker Joshua Amunike from Nairobi City Stars as they chase promotion to the Kenya Premier League next season.

Amunike joins MOFA after scoring eight goals for Simba wa Nairobi in the first leg of the National Super League (NSL). The White Rhinos have further bolstered their frontline with the acquisition of Vincent Nyabuto from newly promoted side Gucha Stars.

The tall striker, a former Gor Mahia Youth player, has quickly made his mark at MOFA. Nyabuto scored his first goal for MOFA in a 1-1 draw against Nzoia Sugar on Sunday in Kisumu, taking his tally to 11 goals, joint-top of the NSL scoring charts alongside Migori Youth’s Syphas Otieno.

MOFA forward Laban Otieno has also chipped in with seven goals this season. MOFA head coach Charles Warinda said the club moved to reinforce its attack due to a congested fixture list in both the NSL and the Mozzart Bet Cup.

“The second leg of the NSL is starting soon, and the league cup is also coming up. We need depth and flexibility, especially as we look at different formations,” said Warinda. “We are happy to have Nyabuto and Amunike in the squad.”

However, MOFA have also suffered a setback in the current transfer window after losing centre-back Vincent Wanga to promotion rivals Migori Youth.

Wanga has already scored twice for his new club. MOFA are currently third on the NSL table with 32 points, four behind leaders Migori Youth and two adrift of second-placed Mombasa United as the battle for the three automatic SportPesa Premier League promotion slots heats up.

The club has also unveiled Steve Brian, who joins from NSL rivals Naivas FC. Meanwhile, Mwatate United head coach Evans Mafuta has criticised the poor state of the Eldoret Showground pitch following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Soy United, which ended their two-match winning run.

“Eldoret Showground is one of the worst playing fields in the country. That facility should not host NSL games—it is in a horrendous state,” said Mafuta.

Despite the loss, the CAF B licence holder remains optimistic about survival. “I’m not worried about relegation. I picked many positives, especially how the new players are adapting,” he added. Looking ahead to their weekend clash against Kisumu All Stars, Mafuta said his immediate focus is lifting the team out of the relegation zone.

“We are targeting at least 10 points from the next five matches,” he said, revealing that the club hopes to complete the signing of 10 players who have been training with the team over the past two weeks.

“The new players will be crucial in our fight against relegation. Some are experienced, while others are coming from lower-tier teams,” Mafuta concluded.