Shittu bemoans league suspension

The last time Nairobi City Stars found themselves back in the top-flight league after suffering relegation was partly due to the league’s suspension. Back then in April last year - when covid-19 was ravaging through the country for the first time - Simba wa Nairobi, as City Stars are known were pronounced winners of the National Super League after Football Kenya Federation invoked a Force Majeure clause.

This time however, announcement of the league’s suspension has not done any favours to the Kawangware-based club. Especially not on one of their influential player Salim Shittu Abdalla. The combative defender has joined a long list of sportsmen in the country who continue to bemoan the recent directive by the president to suspend all sporting activities in the country. Football being life, as is normally said, the former AFC Leopards defender has now revealed how mentally challenging it has become dealing with the decree that has put a stop to footballing activities for the second time in a year.

“We were on the right track with our good performances in recent weeks (before the suspension). We were preparing mentally and psychologically for our next game against the champions Gor Mahia when the announcement came. As players, it is the least of what we expected and now because we cannot train and cannot play, we feel lost.” he reiterated in an interview on the club’s website.

Having helped the team safely back to the top flight last year after joining in 2019, Shittu has made fifteen appearances in sixteen matches played this season in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League, missing only one game through an ankle injury that ruled him out of contention.

The Jonathan Jackson funded outfit have not done so bad either way since coming back, they sit in tenth position on the log on 20 points, nine points adrift of relegation places and Shittu will only be keen on one thing; a return to sporting activities.