Humphrey Mieno leaves Gor Mahia for Ethiopia’s Saint George

K’ogalo’s midfield ace, Humphrey Mieno has left the club in a transfer to Ethiopian side Saint George’s Sports Club. Mieno will rejoin with compatriot and Harambee Stars teammate Patrick Matasi who joined Saint George’s from Tusker in October last year.

The midfielder’s International Transfer Certificate is said to have been issued on Monday, Ethiopia’s deadline day. Gor coach Hassan Oktay had on Saturday blessed the player’s move.

“He called me and told me he wants a new challenge, I informed him to negotiate with the club and wished him good luck,” Oktay told journalists at Kasarani.

The list of Kenyan Internationals playing abroad continues to grow long as the former Sofapaka, AFC Leopards and Tusker man leaves the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) in search of a new challenge. A huge percentage of Harambee Stars players do not play club football locally such that in Kenya’s clash against Ethiopia last year only Francis Kahata and Patrick Matasi were players in the starting 11 that played in the KPL. Matasi left Tusker for Saint Georges shortly after the fixture.

From a list of thirty players that were last called for national team action against Ethiopia, a total of 14 players do not play in the KPL and with Matasi and now Mieno leaving, the list is getting longer.

Gor Mahia star, Francis Kahata had maintained that he will not leave K’ogalo anytime soon and remains to be the only player in the preferred Harambee Stars starting eleven who plays in the KPL. Kahata has been previously rumoured to leave for South Africa’s Premier Soccer League but the midfielder has maintained at Gor Mahia.

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Foreign football brings a new touch to the National Team and also improves the players’ skills and understanding of the game but it is likely to kill local club football. As Harambee Stars prepare for the African Cup of Nations, players from foreign leagues will be a great addition due to their exposure but the local league will suffer.