Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions Gor Mahia have finally sealed the signing of highly-rated defender Levin Odhiambo.
The transfer was made possible after the player became a free agent following his decision to run down the same at K’Ogalo rivals Tusker FC. K’Ogalo had shown interest in signing Odhiambo in the last transfer window but Tusker demanded a fee of Ksh300,000 to let him go.
However, Gor Mahia tabled an offer of Ksh150, 000 which the Brewers turned down, because it was way below their asking price, forcing Odhiambo to stay at the club. Having run down his contract, Gor Mahia confirmed the arrival of the player on their social media pages.
“Welcome to Gor Mahia,” the club announced with photos of Odhiambo putting pen to paper. In his response, Odhiambo thanked Tusker for the opportunity to play for the side and further said they will always remain in his heart.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Tusker, from the management, the technical bench, and my teammates. You have all been kind to me and I will keep all the memories we shared,” Odhiambo wrote on his Facebook page.
He added: “You will always be in my heart. Special thanks to the fans for your support every day. I wish you all the best in your future matches and may God bless you all.”
FKF CEO Barry Otieno said the transfer was in line with the regulations of signing players because Odhiambo was a free agent. “Any free agent can sign for any team at any given time, it doesn’t matter whether the transfer window is on or closed,” Otieno told Africa Top Sports.
Before joining Tusker, Odhiambo previously played for Wazito FC, Mathare United, and Kayole Youth. His arrival at K’Ogalo brings stiff competition in the offensive, and he will be forced to fight for a starting role alongside Geoffrey ‘Ochieng and regular Philemon Otieno.
At Gor Mahia, Odhiambo has also linked up with Rooney Onyango, whom he played with at Tusker. Onyango has gone ahead to earn a place in the national team Harambee Stars’ squad and was part of the team that beat Zimbabwe 3-1 to lift the Four-Nations tournament trophy in Malawi during the recent FIFA international break.