Kapaito opens up on struggle of settling in Ethiopia

Two-time Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) Golden Boot winner Eric Kapaito finally made his long awaited football move abroad by signing for Ethiopian outfit Arba Minch back in September 2021.

The prolific hit man whose eye for goal is marvelous has cited language barrier as one of the stumbling blocks to a smooth transition from the Kenyan league to the less exploited Ethiopian territory. 

The 25-year-old is determined to make the move count after proving himself at Kariobangi Sharks where he spent three years since joining from FC Talanta.

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Kapaito admitted that he has struggled to communicate with few being able to speak fluent English in the country as he compared the local league to the Ethiopian Premier League. 

“It has not been easy settling down because most of the people here are speaking Amharic, very few people speak fluent English making communication hard,”

“The football here is good but the league at home is slightly better in terms of quality, the style of play in Ethiopia is different but what I have noticed is the fans are really passionate about football,” said Kapaito. 

The goal poacher made his debut for Arba Minch in the 1-1 draw against Hadia Hosaina at the start of the month with the league set to resume on Sunday as they take on Awassa Kenema.

Kapaito however noted that Bernard Ochieng who joined the club from Wazito made settling down at Arba Minch simpler and allayed fears that the political turmoil in Ethiopia has not affected football. 

“Settling in with Bernard Ochieng has made it easier because when you have someone from the same country is always a plus,”

“The current situation in Ethiopia has not affected our football, everything is just the same since I joined the club back in September,” added Kapaito.