There is no player at Nairobi City Stars more eager to see the club return to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) than their captain and long serving player Calvin Masawa.
And after five seasons of near misses, City Stars are on the verge of earning promotion back to topflight football.
The Kawangware-based outfit are ten points (64) clear at the top of the National Super League (NSL) but the league was indefinitely suspended last month with less than ten rounds of matches to go due to the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging the world.
Since joining City Stars in 2011 from Migori Youth, Masawa, 26, has seen the ebb and flow of the club, previously known as World Hope.
From surviving relegation in 2014 before falling down in 2016 amid a financial crisis to working under over 17 coaches and change of club ownership, the defender has seen it all.
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“It’s been hard actually playing in the lower leagues but we have been pushing each season knowing that at the end we will go back where we rightfully belong and that’s the Kenyan Premier League,” Masawa told the club’s website.
“Many times they do say that ‘Numbers don’t lie’ and indeed our numbers this season in points, goals and position justify that. So, I believe, we are going up.”
Recalling how painful it was when their 3-1 defeat to Kakamega Homeboyz on October 30 2016 at Kasarani Stadium ended the club’s eight years of top flight football, the fullback said: “In football relegation is always players lowest moments and it wasn’t different with me being that since I started playing professional football, I only knew one level and that was Kenyan Premier League.
“I was so devastated by the relegation and even thought of quitting football because I couldn’t imagine playing in the lower tier. But later on, through encouragement, I decided to go down with the team knowing that one day we will be back to the top tier.”
But after three years of struggling to find a road to success in NSL that was marred by financial turmoil, City Stars, who finished 14th in the league last season, could be on their way back to KPL thanks to Jonathan Jackson Foundation (JJF) investment.
Immediately after buying the team in March 2019, JJF hired Bosnian Sanjin Alagic, who then began the rebuilding process by bringing talented and experienced players to the club.
And in less than a year, the Bosnian has transformed City Stars from NSL relegation fodder into KPL promotion candidates.
Alagic brought in Ezekiel Odera, Noah Abich, Salim Abdallah, Aziz Okaka and Peter Opiyo.
Anthony Kimani and Jimmy Bagaye rejoined the team together with Wesley Onguyo (Gor Mahia) and John Kamau (Tusker).
“Honestly there has been a new breath of life at the club since the new management came on. I remember going for months without salaries, unsettled allowances and sometimes even lacking a training ground,” said Masawa.
Asked if he would like to retire at City Stars, Masawa, who idolises Gor Mahia's Joash Onyango said: “Of course, yes I would love to retire at City Stars. I want to create rare history in Kenyan Football as a one-club man.”
