Five Kenya Cup player transfers that never happened
Kabras Sugar's Philip Wokorach (right) avoids a tackle from Impala's Samuel Oliech at a past match. Wokorach was on the verge of signing for KCB RFC PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Kabras Sugar would have lost two of their best backline players
- Simbas scrumhalf decides to stay on Ngong Road.
- KCB fails to lure Max Kangeri from Deejays
The 2018/2019 Kenya Cup season kicked off last weekend with the biggest news being the 14-20 defeat of Menengai Cream Homeboyz by Nondies. The teams have been busy in the market strengthening ahead of the new season.
We all know who moved where, but do we know who was on the verge of a major transfer and their move fell through?
Let’s look at the transfers that never was:
1. Philip Wokorach (Kabras Sugar RFC) to KCB
The mercurial Ugandan full back was rumoured to have requested for a transfer to the defending champions on deadline day.
Wokorach was said to have travelled to Ruaraka to try and force through the move but was told that he was time barred. It would have been interesting to see how we would have lined up alongside Darwin Mukidza and Tony Onyango two natural fullbacks currently in France with the Kenya Simbas.
Churchill Ooko of Strathmore (right) outpaces Aaron Mutuku of JKUAT during their Great Rift 10-a-side rugby match at the Nakuru ASK Showground on March 26, 2016. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH |
2. Churchill Ooko (Strathmore Leos) to Stanbic Mwamba
The fleet-footed utility back trained with Kulabu during the National Sevens Circuit and was on the verge of signing a contract with them.
However, the deal fell through along due to what the club described as “personal issues” . Ooko then decided to follow his former coach Mitch Ocholla to Top Fry Nakuru where he has already made his Kenya Cup debut against his old club, Strathmore.
Kabras Sugar's Lekima Kuidraki (left) is tackled by Homeboyz's Max Kangeri during their Kenya Cup play-offs semi-finals match on April 8, 2017 at Jamhuri Park Show ground. Kabras won 22-17. KCB failed to sign him from Homeboyz RFC. PHOTO | FILE
3. Max Kangeri (Menengai Cream Homeboyz) to KCB
For a long time, there have been murmurs that Max was unsettled at the Deejays and was looking his next club. He has been previously linked with Kenya Harlequin but that move never materialised.
During this year’s transfer window, he was spotted training for almost a week at Ruaraka Sports Club and we all thought that he has finally made that move. We were wrong.
He popped up in Homeboyz colours during Impala Floodlit tournament ad went on to play against the players he had been training with during the week!
Kenya Simbas’s Samson Onsomu (right) trains at RFUEA ground in Nairobi on May 4, 2018. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
4. Samson Onsomu (Impala Saracens) to Kabras
When Kabras Sugar lost their two first team scrumhalves early during the transfer season, their new coach Henley Du Plessis identified Kenya Simbas Samson Onsomu as his preferred replacement.
Dominic Osino quit the Sugar Millers for Kenya Harlequins and was followed out of the exit door by Ugandan international Ivan Kirabo who joined Kobs RFC in Kampala.
Du Plessis immediately made contact with the Impala Saracens half back and tried to convince him to join the Kakamega-based club. But by the close of the window, Onsomu was still contracted by the Gazelles.
National rugby team player Nick Barasa trains at RFUEA ground. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
5. Nick Barasa (Kabras Sugar RFC) to Kenya Harlequin
Barasa started his Kenya Cup career at the Ngong Road side and was on the verge of rejoining them after four years in Kakamega.
Quins went ahead to announce the signing and was in the process of registering for the new season when Kabras Sugar RFC pulled the plug on them.
Sources indicate that Kabras chairman Philip Jalang’o wrote to Kenya Rugby Union indicating that Barasa was still their player. The impasse is yet to be resolved and Barasa is still officially a Kabras Sugar player.
