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Kenyan winger Bwana switches clubs in the US


Kenyan winger Handwala Bwana has joined Major League Soccer (MLS) side Nashville SC from Seattle Sounders.

The 21-year old Mombasa-born player was acquired in exchange for Jimmy Medranda at $225,000 (Approximately Ksh 24.5 million) in General Allocation Money (GAM).

Sounders could receive an additional $25,000 (Ksh 2.7 million) in GAM, if Bwana meets certain performance-based metrics.

Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs expressed his joy at the development.

“Handwalla is one of the exciting young attacking prospects in the league, and we feel very fortunate to be able to add him to our group,” he told the club’s portal.

“His ability to threaten defenses both on and off the ball makes him a constant attacking presence, and his work rate on both sides of the ball makes him a menace to play against,”  he added.

Bwana has also expressed his joy after joining the club.

“I am happy to sign with Nashville SC. I can’t wait to get started and help the team reach their goals,” he said.

Bwana joined Seattle Sounders in 2018 from the University of Washington where he had made 39 appearances – recording 12 goals and 13 assists.

He made his Major League Soccer debut on March 4, 2018, and since then, he has earned an MLS Cup in 2019, reached the MLS Cup playoffs in back to back seasons in 2018 and ‘19, and debuted at the international level in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League in a 1-0 victory over Chivas de Guadalajara.

Interestingly enough, despite being Kenyan, Bwana, via his social media posts, claimed to have been born and bred in Kismayu, Somalia.