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The Japanese has opened up on the issues endured when he moved to Kenya to kickstart his career, including the standards of officiating and the sorry state of pitches he has described look like "gravel parking lots"
Nairobi City Stars’ Japanese striker Yuto Kusaba has opened up on the challenges he has had to go through ever since opting to start plying his trade in Kenya.
Kusaba moved to Kenya in April 2023 and played for FC Zenshin, before joining City Stars on August 24 this year, but has yet to feature for the club due to work permit issues.
Kusaba is expected to finally make his debut in January, but he has gone through more strenuous problems than just failing to get work permits.
Immediately after arriving in Africa, he was baptized with a high fever of up to 41 degrees Celsius and abdominal pain that persisted for a month.
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The City Stars forward has further revealed he had to “run away” from his parents in Japan in order to try and fulfill his dream in Kenya.
Nothing will start unless you start playing. At the hospital, he was given an intravenous drip and managed to get back on his feet and worked hard to create an environment in which he could play soccer.
“It's my first time abroad and I don't know anyone, so I don't even know if there is an agent there who can introduce me,” Kusaba told Football Zone.
“When I searched for "Japanese Kenyan soccer" on social media, I found one team. FC ZENSHIN, which belonged to Division 4 at the time, was founded by the NPO African Children's Education Fund (ACEF), which operated a local AIDS orphanage.
When he directly approached the staff about joining the team, they were happy to accept, saying, “You can play with us until you become a professional.''
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Kusaba has admitted that playing in Kenya has not been smooth at all, even aiming a dig at the standard of officiating and the dilapidated states of pitches that look like “gravel parking lots”
“There are many problems because it is Kenya, but I want to overcome them and go see new scenery ahead. I will score points.
“I was surprised when we decided to play on a pitch that looked like a gravel parking lot. I thought, ‘Is this going to be a death match?’ Players who fall are covered in blood.
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“We also had to contend with the referee's unreasonable decisions, which seemed like match-fixing. It was tough because there are so many things that would be unthinkable in Japan.''
Nonetheless, Kusaba has revealed that he is ready to overcome these problems to be able to fulfill his dream of finally playing in the J.League.
"I became the first Asian player to play in Kenya's first division!!!!!! It's not the image I dreamed of that day, but after struggling, this view in Kenya awaited me. is my treasure.
"There are many problems because it is Kenya, but I want to overcome them and go see new scenery ahead.I will score points.''
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