Kenyan internationals in search for new clubs after suffering relegation in Ethiopia

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STARS ABROAD: Kenyan internationals in search for new clubs after suffering relegation in Ethiopia

Joel Omotto 11:30 - 07.07.2023

The two players will have to find opportunities elsewhere as the country’s rules do not allow foreigners to play in second tier

Kenyan stars Eric Kapaito and Bernard Ochieng are on the look out for new cubs following the relegation of their side Arba Minch City FC from the Ethiopian Premier League on Thursday.

Arba Minch suffered the heartbreaking axe following their 1-1 draw with Hawassa City while fellow relegation candidates Wolkite City also played to a 1-1 stalmate against Adama City, the point helping them secure safety.

The result left Arba Minch 14th on the 16-team log, relegating them to the second tier, and with Ethiopian football rules preventing foreigners from featuring in the lower leagues, the Kenyan duo will have to leave.

Ochieng started Thursday’s match with his compatriot Kapaito on the bench at the Adama Science and Technology University.

Arba Minch gave their fans hopes of survival when Ahmed Hussein broke the deadlock but the joy was short lived as Hawassa City drew level after 23 minutes through Eyob Alemayehu and held on to force the stalemate.

The result ended Arba Minch’s two-year stay in the top flight and will have to re-strategise how to come back without the experience and quality of their foreign contingent.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for former Karibangi Sharks striker Kapaito at the club as he has featured in 21 of their 30 league games this season while scoring four goals.

Kapaito joined the club in September 2021, signing a two-year contract after bagging 24 goals for Sharks the previous campaign, and he will not be short of suitors now that he is a free agent.

Ochieng, meanwhile has been a vital cog in the team, featuring in 24 matches, in the just-concluded campaign. The former Wazito FC defender also joined Arba Minch in September 2021 shortly after they were promoted to the top flight.