FKF Premier League side Nairobi City Stars has announced the acquisition of Japanese forward Yuto Kusaba.
The club officially confirmed its exciting new addition through a statement released on Thursday. Although the statement refrained from divulging the exact terms of Kusaba’s contract with the club, it warmly welcomed him to The Den.
“Yuto Kusaba signs as a Nairobi City Stars Player. Joining from Fc Zenshinโฆ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ ๐จ, confirmed. Welcome to The Den,” the club announced.
The deal marks a significant achievement in Yuto Kusaba’s career, as it fulfills his personal aspiration of becoming the first Asian player to participate in Kenya’s premier football league.
In a social media post back in March 2023, he candidly shared his aspirations, which included mastering both English and Swahili languages.
“Aiming to become the first Asian player in Kenya to sign a professional contract in the first division. To achieve this, I left my university club in the fourth year and joined J6. I am dedicated to working hard in Kenya and studying English and Swahili, all in pursuit of creating a society where everyone can continue to follow their dreams.” Yuto wrote.
On June 15, 2023, he also said, โI came to Kenya for the first time in my life to truly experience being a minority. I donโt think this just makes you feel like you donโt actually go on site. In a game where the Japanese are the only ones in the away match, a single person with a different skin color is targeted by the opponents. You canโt have this kind of experience in Japan. I can get a little stiff, but Iโll make it all a good experience.โ
Yuto Kusaba is likely to make his debut for Nairobi City Stars FC on Sunday, August 27th, against Muhoroni Youth FC at the Kasarani Annex Stadium. The game is set to kick off at 3 p.m.
