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Ayub Timbe: Vissel Kobe unveil Kenya winger after transfer move
The speedy winger has officially been paraded to the fans by the Japanese after moving to the club on March 1, 2021
Vissel Kobe have officially unveiled Kenya winger Ayub Timbe after he signed for the team three weeks ago.
The speedy winger was without a club since mid-October 2020 after he parted ways with Beijing Renhe, but he was officially unveiled by the Japanese top-flight side - captained by Andres Iniesta - on March 1, although the two parties did not give details of the contract signed.
The Japanese club have now officially unveiled the player, with photos of him greeting a few club fans being posted on their social media pages.
“Welcome to the club, Masika Ayub Timbe,” read the post on Facebook.
In a recent one-on-one interview, Timbe, who also played for EFL Championship side Reading on loan from Renhe, revealed how Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga played a hand in his transfer to Kobe.
“When I was in China I remember watching some of the Vissel Kobe games, there is one game I was so impressed about the team and since then I said to myself Kobe is really a good team and then you guys had Iniesta, you also had Lukas [Podolski], and I was always having this feeling it is a good club,” Timbe said during the interview recorded by Kobe Online TV.
“I also remember talking to my colleague Michael [Olunga] while on national team duty and he was like if you really want to go to Japan and you want a good team, it is Vissel Kobe, it is one of the best teams, like in everything, in the players, in the facilities just everything, so I just had a good feeling with the club before I even I joined.”
Timbe continued: “Almost everywhere, like when I was in Belgium and also England and when I was in Kenya, if you ask anyone do you know any club in Japan, they will say Vissel [Kobe], everyone and for me, it was easy to pick the team when they came for my services.”
Olunga left a mark in Japan while playing for Kashiwa Reysol after he won the Golden Boot in the 2020 J1 League season, when he netted 28 goals in 32 games, and went ahead to lift the Most Valuable Player award, becoming the first African to do so in Japan.
The former Gor Mahia, Thika United, and Tusker forward has since left for Al Duhail SC of Qatar and his performances in the Far East are expected to place considerable pressure on Timbe.
