City Stars announce signing of Japanese youngster Yuto Kusaba

FKF Premier League club Nairobi City Stars on Thursday confirmed the signing of Japanese international Yuto Kusaba for what Mozzart Sport understands is a one year deal through the entire 2023-24 season.

The 22 year old, who was playing for FKF National Division 2 (Northern Zone) side Zenshin FC, completed his move to Nicholas Muyoti’s side after impressing in a two-week joint training session with the team, ultimately landing a contract that now makes him the first Asian player to play in the modern-day Kenya Premier League.

“Really excited to introduce him as one of our new players for the upcoming season,” City Stars CEO Patrick Korir told Mozzart Sport shortly after the announcement. “He is one really exciting player that stood out to us in training, was ‘a cut above the rest’ and I bet his ability is way higher than what our league offers.”

Already operating under the tag of ‘Kenyan Minanimo’, Kusaba - a left sided winger- as per Korir (and honestly gathering from a few videos online), has a lethal left foot, is super good on the ball, fast, and good at heading.

What stood out in the entire process though, was ‘his winning mindset.’

"He is one of those players who really wanted to get a chance and we thought about letting him in," Korir said. "We had good reviews of him and he showed it in training."

Before being referred to City Stars earlier this year, Kusaba - a Tokyo and Osaka native - whose history includes stints at Japanese sides Okayama Gakuin University Soccer Club and EASY Akashi Club in the Kansai Society’s Second Division, is said to have had opportunities at two Kenyan clubs; Tusker FC, Kariobangi Sharks turned down, before securing a short stint at Muhoroni Youth, where sources indicate ‘he didn’t fancy after a few weeks of training.’

“Now for a player who has had some experiences in Kenya’s dusty pitches and showed his class, you can only imagine of what he is capable of in a league that has better pitches,” Korir added, mentioning that the club was in the process of getting his player card ready for what could be a league debut for him on Sunday against Muhoroni Youth at the Kasarani Annex Grounds.

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Kusaba by any chances isn’t a new face in Kenya, making a trip to the country early April this year after ‘quitting college football’ in November 2022.

His destination was Embu, where it is believed he had traveled to be a volunteer in a local NGO and ended up linking up with FC Zenshin - a club he scored for in his debut on 25 April 2023.

“Just became the first Asian player in Kenya,” Kusaba posted on his social media then. “Wanting to see a new landscape, doing something no one has ever achieved.”

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