Cote d’Ivoire striker Ephrem Guikan has arrived in the country ahead of a move to the Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia.
Guikan, 24, previously played for Mauritius’ AS Port Louis 2000 in the island nation’s topflight.
In Cote d’Ivoire, the Abidjan-born played for five-times Ligue 1 winners Stade d’Abidjan.
It was during his stint at the Stade d’Abidjan that he earned a call up to the Elephants’ U-23 team.
Guikan (left) in the Elephants colours.
Guikan scored twice against former KPL champions Tusker FC early this year as AS Port Louis bundled out the Brewers from the African Champions League at the preliminaries stage.
Inside source at Gor confirms to Soka25east that want-away Rwandan midfielder Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza has agreed to trade his position with Guikan.
Mugiraneza, who still has three years on his contract is believed to be heading to APR of Rwanda after finding minimal playing time at K’Ogalo since arriving from Tanzania’s Azam at the beginning of this season.
His position will then be taken by Gikan in a “gentleman’s agreement” to complete the foreign players’ quota of five per team.
Guikan was present at Gor’s coronation yesterday in Kisumu and the two could be seen heartily chatting at the team’s after party at the Royal Grand Swiss Hotel.
Guikan (right) during Gor’s coronation.
Gor have vowed to reach the group stage of next year’s African Champions League and have embarked on strengthening the squad in time before the first deadline for registering players with CAF end of December.
The coach Dylan Kerr’s side has so far roped in former Sony Sugar striker Samuel Onyango from Ulinzi Stars.
Team’s skipper Musa Mohammed is confident that they can go far in the Africa’s premium club championship next year and silence their critics.
“When they say we can’t compete beyond Kenya they only give us the morale to do well and disapprove them and with God and early preparations we will make the fans proud this time round,” Musa said.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the following players are not in Kerr’s plans for 2018 and will be released; they include John Ndirangu, Mike Simiyu, Timothy Otieno, Jeconiah Uyoga and Mqbull Kareem.
