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Thiong’o: If interested, AFC Leopards will sign winger even for KSh100M - Shikanda
The chairman was responding to Cleophas Shimanyula’s claims that Ingwe were too broke to sign the player
AFC Leopards will get Kakamega Homeboyz’ Peter Thiong’o even for KSh100 million despite Cleophas Shimanyula’s pride, chairman Dan Shikanda has vowed.
Shimanyula had earlier claimed that Ingwe are a broke club who cannot afford to sign the highly-rated winger but Shikanda has responded and said nobody will stand on their way if the player is on their transfer wish list.
“The players we want we are hopeful of getting them and it all depends on the interest we have as AFC Leopards. If [Peter] Thiong'o is in my list of the players AFC Leopards want, we will surely get him,” Shikanda told Goal.
“Even if [Cleophas] Shimanyula is going to ask for KSh100 million we will get him.
“We have not drafted any list of potential new signings so far and I do not know between Kakamega Homeboyz and AFC Leopards which side should be bragging of having more money than the other.
“Yes, you can brag you have got money when you have KSh1 million and another one may have KSh100 million and both can rightfully chest thump that they have got money.
“The word money is relative and it depends on what you are talking about. I wonder how much Shimanyula pays his players against what we pay our players so that he can brag that he has money and AFC Leopards have got no money."
Shikanda, who is serving his second year as AFC Leopards chair, did not want to engage his Kakamega Homeboyz counterpart on the money debate.
“We are only interested in players that we want and if Shimanyula thinks AFC Leopards have got money or not is none of our concern,” he continued.
“So, I do not understand why somebody should tell me that AFC Leopards have got no money. Let him continue thinking he has got money and AFC Leopards do not but let me say if Thiong'o is in my list Shimanyula will cry in the washrooms.
“But if we are not interested in the player then that is it. I am just sorry for Shimanyula if Thiong'o is on our list.
“Time will tell. It is not important to debate who has got more money and who has got no money.”
Shimanyula has been a critic of his rivals and when reports indicated Ingwe were in talks with Thiong’o, Derrick Otanga and Musa Masika, he quickly claimed the winger was above the purchasing power of the former Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions.
“AFC Leopards are simply broke and cannot afford to buy Thiong’o, they should try to sign players from elsewhere, they don’t have money to pay for the player and we all know they are struggling financially,” Shimanyula told Goal on Wednesday.
AFC Leopards and Kakamega Homeboyz are yet to sign any new players since the transfer window opened.
