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Two main reasons made the anticipated move to the Premier League impossible.
In February 2010, English Premier League side Manchester City attempted to sign Harambee Stars midfielder MacDonald Mariga, but the deal fell through.
Mariga’s then anticipated move to the Etihad could not happen because of a work permit. A fee of around £7 million had been agreed between City and Serie A side Parma.
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But Harambee Stars’ FIFA ranking was also another hurdle that stood between the midfielder and a move to England.
At the time when the Cityzens wanted to bring Mariga to the Eastlands, Kenya was ranked 98, and the move would have only been legitimate had Harambee Stars been in thetop 70.
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Mariga had enjoyed 25 caps and played at least 75% of Kenya’s games over the last two years.
An immediate appeal surrounding Mariga’s permit meant that he could not become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League. The dream was deferred but was later achieved by Victor Wanyama, Mariga’s younger brother, who played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.
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17:47 - 09.06.2023
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Coach Firat will be without some of his key players for the Four-Nation Tournament.
After the failed attempt to land their target, City were said to be keen to push for Mariga’s move in the summer transfer window. But their interest waned, and they reportedly did not pursue him further.
Parma had paid £2 million to Helsingborgs of Sweden for Mariga’s services in 2008. When City attempted to sign the Kenyan, Mariga was under contract with the Italian until the summer of 2012 and had made eight starts in a Parma shirt that season.
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However, on February 1, 2010, the last day of the transfer window, Mariga moved to Inter Milan in a co-ownership deal worth €5 million in a cash plus player deal, in which Parma got half the registration rights of Jonathan Biabiany (€2.5 million) and the loan of Luis Antonio Jimenez.
He made his debut for the San Siro giants in the first leg of the 2009-10 Coppa Italia semi-final against Fiorentina, which they narrowly lost by 1–0.
17:47 - 09.06.2023
FOOTBALL Brian Mandela and Masud Juma's exclusion from Harambee Stars squad explained
Coach Firat will be without some of his key players for the Four-Nation Tournament.
In March 2010, Mariga became the first Kenyan to play in the UEFA Champions League, when he entered the field as a substitute against Chelsea.
He won the Champions League with Inter in the 2009-10 season and became the first Kenyan and East African – to win the coveted European club trophy.
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