Oktay denies reports of signing Rwandan midfielder Manishimiwe
Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay says he knows ‘nothing’ about the club’s reported acquisition of Rwandan midfielder Djabel Manishimiwe.
He spoke on Monday evening here in Rubavu, after watching his side labour to a 2-1 win over DR Congo’s AS Maniema in an entertaining Cecafa Kagame Cup match.
The Kenyan champions won the match thanks to goals from Wellington Ochieng and Boniface Omondi.
BEST STRIKER
“I don’t even know the boy (Manishimiwe),” a visibly surprised Oktay told journalists.
He then threw a quick glance at his sweat-drenched captain Harun Shakava, who was sitting beside him, perhaps in search of answers.
“I did not ask anyone (at the club) to sign him because we are not looking for midfielders. I want a striker. A good one. We have lost the best striker in East Africa and we need to replace him with similar quality,” he added.
Gor Mahia recently agreed to sell Rwandan striker Jacques Tuyisenge to Angola’s Petro Atletico for a reported Sh15 million.
TRANSFER
Oktay’s remarks will raise more questions than answers over Manishimiwe’s reported transfer to Gor Mahia.
Rwandan club Rayon Sport recently announced on social media that it has agreed to sell the 27-year-old attacking midfielder to the Kenyan champions.
A senior Gor Mahia official was then pictured posing with the player in Kigali only for the Rwandan international to sign a contact with Rayon’s rivals Rwanda Patriotic Army (APR) a few days later.