FOOTBALL– Since joining SC Villa from Police FC in 2015, striker Umar Kasumba ‘s two year spell at Villa Park never panned out as expected. A player who cut a seldom-seen figure and indeed, given his job description, his goals even less so.
A bit-part player with playing time hard to come by , there was little tangible evidence , on paper at least , for what was to come. A parting of ways materialized after SC Villa released the misfiring striker at the end of last season.
From his vantage point he had a clear view of the quickening rush to turn his fortunes a round.And when Coach Sam Ssimbwa presented him an opportunity to combine forces at Kenyan premier league side Sofapaka , Kasumba took it with both hands.
And into his first few months in the KPL since joining in June, there is no doubt that both Kasumba and Sofapaka have emerged as winners in the deal.
It is not only the amount of minutes Kasumba is getting under his belt, but the quality of those minutes , that suggest the Former Police FC striker has found his match made in Kenya.
“The Kenyan league suits me very well because players fight for the ball all the time, I prefer physical challenges,” Kasumba told Kenya’s Daily Nation.
Kasumba’ssolitary strike in Sofapaka’s 2-1 defeat to GorMahia last Wednesday in Kisumu took his tally to 10, and just one shy of KPL leading top scorer Ulinzi’s StephenWaruru who has bagged 11, and has managed that return since April 15.
Cue, Kasumba’s 10 KPL goal tally thus far is just three goals less from equaling his best season goal return-13 goals which he notched in the 2014-2015 UPL Season to finish second fiddle to eventual top scorer Robert Ssentongo, who had 15.
Kasumba and Ugandan compatriots Feni Ali and Rogers Aloro were part of the thirteen players the BatotobaMungu recruited in mid season.
But it is kasumba who has made the best possible start at his current workstation,scoring 10 times in his opening nine league games in Kenya’s top flight , and a further more five goals in two Gotv shield matches. Mathematically, that’s an average of a goal every game.
This is no mean feat, given the fact that Kasumba only joined the 2009 KPL Champions on 1st June this year at the resumption of KPL second round. His goal-scoring blitz has catapulted him as a main contender of the Sportpesa Premier League top Scorer’s gong.” I want to win that award for top scorer. I am confident and motivated because my teammates told me it comes with benefits,” the centre forward told Nation Sport.
If Kasumba continues to with his splendid form in front of goal to emerge as top Scorer, he will join Dan”mzee”Sserukuma as other Ugandan Player to win the prestigious award in the Kenyan League.
