Kiongera branded ‘Sh5 million flop’ in Tanzania
Harambee Stars striker Paul Kiongera has been branded a Sh5 million flop by the Tanzanian media as his two-year contract with Simba SC nears conclusion.
According to Kiswahili sports newspaper, Mwanaspoti, the former KCB and Gor Mahia striker, was handed a $20,000 (about Sh2,000,000) signing on fee by the Tanzanian bigwigs when they signed him in August 2014 , alongside a $1,500 (Sh150,000) monthly salary.
Kiongera was lured to the Msimbazi street based club in Dar by then coach Zdravko Logarusic, with whom he had previously worked with at Gor Mahia.
The player has, however, failed to score in Tanzania’s Vodacom league to date, and is currently used sparingly by Ugandan coach Jackson Mayanja whose preferred starter in the striking role is Hamis Kiiza.
Part of his inability to perform, according to the bi-weekly paper, has been attributed to injuries. The club has once had to fly him out to India for medical treatment on a niggling knee injury at a cost of Sh750,000.
SCORING SPREE
Kiongera is reported to have cost Simba a further Sh900,000 in 2015. This was as per the agreement, in which Simba was compelled to continue paying half of his monthly wages, while KCB, who had loaned him at the time, paid the recent.
Interestingly, on a brief return to the Kenyan Premier League last season, Kiongera resumed his goal scoring spree, finding the net 10 times only to hit a dry spell again when he rejoined Simba in January.
“He seems a good player, but we are puzzled as to why he performs very well in Kenya but fails to settle here. I blame the club officials, they should have done much more research before bringing him here,” former Simba and Yanga striker Zamoyoni Mogella said.
Kiongera, who has in the past been linked to a number of clubs in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, is currently rumoured to be on the wish list of several KPL clubs.