EXCLUSIVE: Michael Olunga Football Academy beats Premier League sides to sign Shabana forward
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 13.01.26. | 19:04
The move comes shortly after the National Super League (NSL) transfer window officially opened on Monday, January 12, and is set to run until mid February, giving clubs an opportunity to strengthen for the decisive second half of the season
National Super League (NSL) goal poacher Vincent Nyabuto is on the verge of joining Michael Olunga Football Academy FC (MOFA) from parent club Shabana FC, Mozzart Sport can exclusively reveal.
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This is after the ambitious NSL side fended off stiff competition from Premier League outfits and fellow promotion contenders to land the red-hot forward who has been on loan at NSL side Gucha Stars.
The move comes shortly after the NSL transfer window officially opened on Monday, 12 January, and is set to run until mid-February, allowing clubs to strengthen for the decisive second half of the season.
Guided by head coach Charles Bruno Warinda, the White Rhinos are firmly in the promotion race and are widely tipped to cross over into the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) at the end of the campaign.
Powered by Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga, the club currently sits second on the NSL standings with 28 points, two behind leaders Migori Youth, and well placed to challenge for automatic promotion.
Despite their strong league position, MOFA have struggled to consistently kill off matches, with a lack of cutting edge in the final third proving costly.
The attacking responsibility has largely fallen on Laban Otieno and Kevin Bulimo, leaving the side vulnerable in games they should have wrapped up early.
Those struggles were evident in dropped points against Mully Children Family (MCF), Naivas FC and FC Talanta, encounters where the team created numerous chances but failed to convert them.
That concern now appears to have been addressed with the imminent arrival of Nyabuto, a proven goalscorer with a strong pedigree in the second tier.
The former Shabana FC striker is expected to provide the clinical edge MOFA have lacked.
Although it is yet to be confirmed whether the move will be permanent or a loan deal from Tore Bobe, similar to his previous spell at Gucha, the player has confirmed that he has already linked up with the club for training.
“It is true that all those clubs have been chasing my signature, but at the moment I am training with MOFA,” he told Mozzart Sport.
The forward has scored 10 league goals this season and is joint second on the NSL scoring charts alongside Migori Youth striker Syphus Awuor.
His fine form had attracted interest from Fortune SACCO, who viewed him as a possible replacement should they lose Collins Maina Mwangi.
Premier League sides Murang’a Seal and APS Bomet were also monitoring the situation, but MOFA ultimately outmuscled all suitors to secure the services of the striker.
The player revealed that his decision to link up with MOFA is driven by his personal ambition to finish the season as the league’s top scorer.
“My main goal is to win the Golden Boot,” he said. “I want to be among the few players who have scored more than 25 goals in the Super League.”
The last time a striker crossed the 25-goal mark in the NSL was during the 2020-21 season, when Ezekiel Okare scored 26 goals, while Clinton Okoth, now set to be his teammate at MOFA, netted 25.
“I just want to lead the scorers chart at the end of the season. That is what I really want,” he added.
With the transfer window now open and promotion firmly in sight, the arrival of Nyabuto could prove decisive in MOFA’s push for top-flight football.
