Harambee Stars midfielder joins Turkish top tier side
Football
By
Robert Abong'o
| Jan 14, 2021
Harambee Stars midfielder Johanna Omolo has joined Turkish club Buyuksehir Belediye Erzurumspor from Belgian outfit Cercle Brugge, the club confirmed on Wednesday, January 13.
31-year-old Johanna Omolo is set to link up with ex-West Ham United defender and Morocco international Manuel da Costa, who also signed for the club yesterday.
Cameroon internationals Adolphe Teikeu and Petrus Boumal also play for Erzurumspor, who are currently bottom of the Turkish Super Lig with 13 points after 18 matches.
Johanna Omolo Erzurumspor’umuza hay?rl? olsun! #BizimHikayemiz #Erzurumspor pic.twitter.com/yMq2Hjo145 — BB Erzurumspor (@Erzurumspor) January 13, 2021
Omollo could feature for Erzurumspor on Thursday, January 13 (today) in the Turkish Cup away to Alanyaspor. The match is scheduled for 18:45 East African Time (EAT).
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He signed a contract with Cercle Brugge in August last year, at a time when his foundation helped fight the pandemic in his home country.
HARAMBEE STARS
Omolo made his Harambee Stars debut in 2011.
He has scored only one goal for Kenya – during a 1-1 draw against Togo in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
He has played for numerous clubs in Kenya, Belgium, and Luxembourg including Lommel United, Beerschot, Fola Esch, prestigious Vise and Coast Stars.
Omolo won the Fifpro Merit Award for his community work in Dandora, Nairobi through his foundation - Johana Omollo Foundation.
In June last year, the Johanna Omolo Foundation donated foodstuffs to families in Dandora.
Speaking to Standard Sports, the foundation's chairman Godfrey Okoti called upon other able and capable Kenyans to help the most affected families especially in the slums and rural areas.
He said they gave out cooking oil, rice, ugali flour, sugar, hand wash, soaps and many more necessities to sustain the families during these trying times.
“Omolo grew up from Dandora and he saw it fit to give back to the community especially during this coronavirus pandemic which has greatly affected the lives of Kenyans.”
“We are also calling upon those in privileged positions to support and help the most affected families so that we can combat this pandemic as one Kenya,” Okoti said.
The Johanna Omolo Foundation also runs a Menstrual Health Management program in Dandora where they donate Sanitary towels to over 300 girls every month across different schools in the region including Dandora Girls, Tom Mboya Primary, Good Shepherd and Starlight Senior.
In addition to that, they are nurturing talent in Dandora through an incubation Soccer Academy for boys and girls started in 2017 with a vision to provide opportunities for young players to play, learn and enjoy soccer.
They also Educate Needy Children with an aim to provide opportunities for children in Dandora with a belief that every child should have an opportunity to at least attend primary school.
Okoti said they will continue with the food aid at the fullest of their capabilities throughout the pandemic.
The foundation now joins the ranks of Victor Wanyama foundation which distributed sanitizers to the residents of Mathare slums in Nairobi County in a bid to combat the pandemic.