Mathare ace Isuza moves home to AFC Leopards

Midfielder Whyvonne Isuza has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side and local giants AFC Leopards with the Mathare United player set to complete his switch to the Den within a week.

Isuza, who finished first runners up in the KPL Midfielder of the Year category at the 2016 Footballer of the Year Awards held in mid December will join teammate Robinson Kamura and six other players on Leopard’s growing list of new January acquisitions.

Leopards chairman Dan Mule told Citizen Digital on Wednesday the attacking midfielder has in the past week shot to the top of Head Coach Stewart Hall’s wish list as the Englishman embarks on rebuilding the 12-time champions who endured a nightmare 2016 season.

“Isuza is good midfielder and that can be seen by how much he helped Mathare last season. He has the ability to blend well with his teammates so we’re certain he’ll help the club move forward.

“More importantly Isuza is young so he has a bright future,” Mule said of the player voted Mathare’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Midfielder of the Year at the close of their season.

Isuza scored six times for the Slum Boys as the club finished seventh in the 16-team KPL log with 44 points, under the tutelage of veteran coach Francis Kimanzi and Mule has admitted the player is their highest profile signing yet.

“If you look at the signings we’ve done, we’re bringing in players within the age bracket of 23 to 25 and that’s because we want a squad that can play longer.

“It’s the policy of the coach and hopefully in the next two years our players will attract interest from top clubs abroad.

“We told him to pick the players he wants and so far we’re impressed by the choices he has made. We’ll continue to support him but for now it’s about ensuring we tie up Isuza’s deal,” Mule stated.

Leopards have been busy over the January transfer window, acquiring the services of Abdalla Shitu (Posta Rangers), Dennis Shikhaya (Western Stima), Mike Wanyika (Kakamega Homeboyz) and Ibrahim Mao (Sofapaka).

Others are midfielder Duncan Otieno (Posta Rangers) as well as striker Vincent Ouma and Austin Odhiambo among others from their academy as they close in on the prized catch of Isuza.

The influx of new signings has had a trickledown effect on Ingwe’s squad that finished last season, with those released including Malian Moussa Sissoko, custodian Lucus Indeche, John Ndirangu, Edwin Wafula, Jackson Saleh, Yusuf Suf and Yusuf Juma while top striker Kepha Aswani surviving the axe despite being suspended for indiscipline towards the end of last.

So far, Ian Otieno remains the top custodian with Ingwe still in talks with Western Stima to sign keeper Gabriel Andika with Edwin Mukolwe the designated third choice.