Jonah Ayunga: Harambee Stars Striker Faces Bleak Future in Scotland

Harambee Stars striker Jonah Ayunga looks to be heading for the exit at Scottish club St Mirren due to unfortunate circumstances.

Ayunga suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in his right knee in April which means he will not play again this season and that, plus other factors could conspire to see him released.

By the time Ayunga suffered the injury, St Mirren were in dire straits as they were teetering towards relegation and on Thursday, they will have an idea of which division they will be playing in next season.

St Mirren face Patrick Thistle in the first leg of the Scottish Premiership playoff which will determine whether they stay in the top flight or get relegated. A good result in the first leg will be a morale booster ahead of the second leg on Monday.

However, defeat will see them relegated and this could complicate things for the big stars at the club as there would be a need to balance the books.

Ayunga is one of the top names at St Mirren, having been at the club since 2022, and played a pivotal role in their stay in the division and European qualification as well as their first trophy in 12 years, when he scored twice as they beat Celtic in the League Cup final last December.

The Kenyan striker’s future will, however, not solely depend on whether St Mirren avoid relegation or not. His situation is complicated by the fact that he is among eight players out of contract next month and it is looking highly unlikely that he will be offered a new one.

This is not down to lack of talent but his injury record. Before his crushing setback in April, Ayunga had spent a huge chunk of the 2023-24 season out with another long-term injury but the club showed faith in him and handed him an extension up to the summer of 2026.

But with his situation now, St Mirren look more inclined to a parting of ways in favour of a more reliable striker whether they play in the top flight or second tier next season, leaving the Kenyan facing an uncertain future.

Since joining St Mirren from Morecambe in 2022, the English-born striker has made 108 appearances, scoring 18 goals and weighing in with nine assists.

His debut season was his most prolific at St Mirren as he netted seven goals and added three assists before managing just two in an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign. He would score four and add six assists in 2024-25 and had found the net five times in 32 games this term before his injury in April.