The 27-year-old Burkinabe midfielder played his last game for K’Ogalo in the 2-0 defeat against the Sugar Millers
Gor Mahia’s exodus continued on Monday after midfielder Abdul Karim Nikiema confirmed his exit after only six months at the club.
The 27-year-old who joined K’Ogalo from Gandzasar Kapan FC of Armenia on a two-year deal on February 2, 2021, bid farewell to the players and the team’s technical bench after their final game of the season Sunday.
During the match, Gor Mahia suffered a 2-0 defeat against Nzoia Sugar to finish the season with a defeat and it was the first time in four years they had failed to win the FKF Premier League which was won by Tusker.
A top source within the club has exclusively told Goal the Burkinabe player will not return to see through his remaining contract.
What did the source say?
“Karim [Nikiema] played his last match for Gor Mahia against Nzoia Sugar,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Monday. “He has bid the team farewell after the game and he will not come back.
“Like many players at the club, he is concerned that salaries are not being paid and so he wants to move on and get a team elsewhere, he doesn’t have a team at the moment, but he will seek to get one.
“It was the reason he captained the team against Nzoia, despite captain Harun Shakava playing in the game, the team wanted to give him a good send off and it is done, he will not return to play for Gor Mahia.”
On Sunday, Gor Mahia missed the services of their key strikers Tito Okelo and Jules Ulimwengu forcing new coach Mark Harrison to rely on inexperienced players for their final home game.
Speaking to Goal after Sunday’s game, Harrison admitted they were beaten because they did not have their regular players in the squad.
“Tito [Okello] and Ulimwengu both disappeared from training and I have not seen them, they are all asking for money, they have not been paid and I cannot force them to come and play,” Harrison told Goal.
“It is unfortunate we find ourselves in such a situation but there is nothing we can do, we have to use the players available and move on.”
What did Okello say before?
In a recent interview, Okello openly claimed he will not stay at the club next season if they don’t pay him his accrued salary.
The towering South Sudanese forward confirmed he was owed a lot of money by the outgoing FKF Premier League champions and he will not see through his contract at the club “if they don’t pay me.”
“I’m fed up with the situation I’m in. The club owes me a lot of money and if they don’t pay me, I’m going to Uganda after our last game and won’t come back again. They should just give my release letter when the season is done,’’ Okello said.
“It is a huge amount of money and I know they can’t pay it all. I’m frustrated in a foreign land. I’m waiting for the league to end so that I can go back home and look for another option.”
Apart from Okello, other players who have indicated they will not stay at K’Ogalo include defender Charles Momanyi and midfielder Clifton Miheso.
Gor Mahia have already made one signing so far this transfer window – 31-year-old goalkeeper Adama Keita – who joined from CI Kamsar of Guinea on a two-year contract.
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