Kenyan Striker Dumped by Swedish Giants After Six Games in Five Years

Kenyan international striker Henry Meja has officially left Swedish top-flight club AIK following the conclusion of his contract.

Meja moved to the Stockholm-based team in 2021 after a standout season with Tusker FC. During his time with the Brewers, he was instrumental in their 2020-2021 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) title victory and was honoured as the league's Young Player of the Season.

His impressive domestic form also earned him a debut call-up to the Harambee Stars in February 2021 for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Egypt and Togo. However, despite the high expectations surrounding his move to Sweden, Meja struggled to secure a regular place at AIK.

The club confirmed that the forward made only six competitive appearances for the "Black and Yellow" over his five-year contract. His first official match was in the Swedish Cup on February 27, 2022, where he came on as a substitute in a 4-0 win against Eskilsminne IF.

Meja made an immediate impact in that debut, scoring just four minutes from time. After Nabil Bahoui set him up inside the penalty area, the Kenyan calmly slotted the ball into the net. Despite this promising start, first-team opportunities remained scarce.

To gain more playing time, Meja was sent on a series of loans. In 2023, he joined Norrby IF in Sweden's Division 1 Sodra, where he scored four goals in 13 league appearances. He then spent the following two seasons on loan at AFC Eskilstuna, accumulating a total of 55 competitive appearances for them.