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Fifa clears four Gor Mahia players after sealing transfers to giants
K’Ogalo are now free to register the new players with Caf after they received clearance from the world governing body
Gor Mahia have confirmed four of their new signings have been cleared by the Federation of International Football Association (Fifa) to play for them in the 2020-21 campaign.
The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions signed a total of 14 players in the ongoing transfer window, four of them arriving from foreign countries.
The club has now confirmed in a statement that the four players have been cleared to play for the side after receiving their International Transfer Certificates (ITC).
“The international football governing body [Fifa] has finally cleared four players who recently joined the team,” the club revealed in a statement on their official website.
“Burundian Jules Ulimwengu from Rayon Sports, Tito Okello from Vipers of Uganda, Cameroonian Bertrand Konfor, formerly of Al Mudhabi of Oman, and John Macharia who previously featured for FC Guria Lanchkhuti’s of Georgia have all been cleared by Fifa to play for Gor Mahia.
“As per Fifa regulations, all transfers of players between countries must go through a process to get an International Transfer Certificate [ITC] – a certificate provided from one national association to another to facilitate the transfer.”
On being cleared to play for Gor Mahia, midfielder Macharia said: “I am so happy to receive the news that the ITC application process has successfully gone through. It’s a good feeling… my previous club wanted me to go back and so, I wasn’t sure what was in store about my move to Gor Mahia.
“This is good for me because it feels good to train with a team knowing well you are free to play in any competitive match. Now, I have to work… and work hard to achieve the best at my new club.”
Gor Mahia are now free to register the four players for Caf Champions League assignment when the registration window opens on October 21.
Apart from aiming to retain their league title, Gor Mahia will also take part in the Caf competition for the fourth season in a row, and they will be looking to better their performance from last season.
Meanwhile, Gor Mahia will have quite a task in their quest to retain the title considering their first five 2020/21 fixtures.
The giants have been handed Tusker – their most formidable rivals in the last four seasons – as the first opponents for the new season away from home.
It will be the second straight time the Brewers and K’Ogalo have been scheduled in a season-opening fixture as they had met in the 2019/20 season, when Gor Mahia mounted a comeback to stun Tusker 5-2 in Kisumu.
The Gor Mahia-Tusker tie is one of the matches that have been scheduled to take place on the season-opening day on November 20.
The second match for Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ Goncalves' side will be against the 2010 league champions Ulinzi Stars on November 28.
For their third match, Gor Mahia will entertain the 2008 Kenyan Premier League winners Mathare United on December 4. The Green Army will then host another former league champions Sofapaka in what will be their second home match on December 9.
On December 13, the record league champions will travel to face debutants Bidco United in a game that will be expected to start at 16:15.
