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KPL Transfers: I am not leaving AFC Leopards for Gor Mahia – Odhiambo
The youngster has now come out to state he is still contracted to Ingwe and will be at the Den for the new season
AFC Leopards youngster Austin Odhiambo has come out to clarify he has not left the club for rivals Gor Mahia.
Social media has been awash with reports linking the young midfielder to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions ahead of the new season.
However, Odhiambo, who was promoted to Ingwe's senior team from the junior team, has now come out to state he has a running contract with the club and is not intending to break it.
“I have had rumours going around that I have left AFC Leopards for Gor Mahia and I want to state here categorically that I have not done so,” Odhiambo told the club’s TV.
“I am still a player for AFC Leopards and I want to assure the fans that I love this great club and will be here for many seasons to come.”
In an earlier interview with Goal, Ingwe chairman Dan Shikanda came out to clarify the situation, stating Odhiambo is contracted to the club until December 2023, and the buy-out clause in the player's contract only applies to foreign teams.
“Those are rumours from those who want to destabilise AFC Leopards, Austin [Odhiambo] is our player, he has a contract with us until December 2023, and in the clause, he cannot sign for a local team but can only be allowed to sign for a team outside the country,” Shikanda told Goal on Tuesday.
“No team as approached us for the player, not even Gor Mahia, not even the player coming to say he wants to leave, the player knows what clause he signed when he joined us from the youth team, so I don’t understand when people say he has left AFC.
“I want to assure our fans Odhiambo doesn’t have an exit clause for local teams so they should not be worried, we always talk to our players every day and they know, even Gor Mahia have not approached him, even Gor Mahia know the rules and they cannot move to bend them.”
Gor Mahia are said to be keen to sign Odhiambo as a possible replacement for their captain Kenneth Muguna, who has openly stated he will leave the club ahead of the new season.
