Kahata: Gor Mahia target set to sign for Sidama Coffee FC

BetOdds FKF Premier League Transfers Premier League Gor Mahia Sidama Bunna Simba Exclusive

The former Simba SC midfielder has already travelled to Addis Ababa to seal a one-year contract with the top-flight outfit

Gor Mahia transfer target Francis Kahata is on the verge of signing for Ethiopian side Sidama Coffee FC.

Goal can exclusively reveal the former Simba SC of Tanzania midfielder has already travelled to Ethiopia to seal the transfer and he will sign a one-year contract.

A source close to the player has confirmed to Goal the 30-year-old midfielder has decided to play for the Ethiopians after his return to the former FKF Premier League champions hit a snag.

“Kahata has already left the country for Ethiopia and he will pen a one-year deal with Sidama Coffee,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal. “The two parties have agreed on everything including contractual issues and he will be unveiled soon.

“He had several offers on the table, including two from Zambia and one from Tanzania, and then he was also talking to Gor Mahia for a second return, but his heart settled for Ethiopia.

“He was very close to making a comeback to Gor Mahia but the two parties did not agree on the sign-on fee, otherwise he was ready to play in the Kenyan league for Gor Mahia but he has now decided to go elsewhere.”

Kahata is a free agent after he was released by Simba at the end of last season, and in a recent interview, Gor Mahia Sporting Director Omondi Aduda revealed the reason they had not signed the player despite having interest.

“If you have Ksh10 million and you want to use it to sign seven players but one player wants the whole amount as his sign-on fee, is that going to be possible?” Aduda posed a question to Goal when asked about Kahata’s situation.

“We don’t have enough money to sign players and the little we have must be able to give us five or seven quality signings but if one player is asking to take the entire amount we have for signings, will it work?

“It will not be possible and it is the reason we have not made any progress in terms of bringing back Francis [Kahata].”

Sidama Coffee was founded on August 27, 2006, as Dara Kenema and it was one of three clubs representing formerly the Sidama Zone in the South regional championships in 2006.

After that, the club was able to advance to the championships for all regional teams from Ethiopia held in Hawassa that same year.

Dara Kenema finished in the top four of this tournament and by virtue entered the second division of Ethiopian football, the Higher League. The name Dara Kenama was changed to Sidama Coffee as the club was the only team representing the Sidama Zone in the second division.

They won the second division of Ethiopian football, the Ethiopian Higher League (formerly called the National League), in the 2008-09 season (2001 EC) earning a promotion to the Ethiopian Premier League and their first season in the top-flight was the 2009–10 season.

The club play their home games at Hawassa Metropolis Stadium in Hawassa, located 14.7 miles from Shashamane and 173 miles from Addis Ababa.

2021-09-29 10:00:02

Comments

Send Your Comment

Download Application