Nairobi City Stars head coach Nicholas Muyoti is banking on the maturity, experience, and leadership of returning defender Salim ‘Shittu’ Abdallah to steer the club’s ship to safety after a torrid opening half of the 2022/2023 FKFPL campaign.The club confirmed the return of the center-back for the second leg of the season as a free agent, eight months after parting ways with Simba wa Nairobi to pursue other matters.##NAJAVA_MECA_7041449##In the opening 16 matches, Muyoti’s charges conceded 22 goals with mostly a make-shift backline and a premier league rookie once in a while.However, the coach has since exuded his confidence that they will be stable for the second half of the campaign with the defender in the fold.“Shittu’s maturity, experience and leadership will help to stabilize our defense. We are happy to have him back,” Muyoti stated as quoted on the club’s website.Guess who’s back in blue…!!!!!!SHIIITTUUU 🔥🔥🎉……#simbawanairobi pic.twitter.com/THBCjXnIOD— Official Nairobi City Stars Fc (@NrbCityStars) February 23, 2023 The defender is happy to be back at the club he joined for the first time in 2019 while still in the National Super League as they sought promotion to the top tier, noting that it feels like he never left at all.“City Stars has always been my home. I am glad to be back for a second time and ready to give my all come the second leg. It’s like I never left,” Shitu said.Confirming the return of the defender, City Stars Team coordinator Samson Otieno noted that the return of Shitu was necessitated by the need to solidify their backline for the second leg.Exclusive: Wazito name new head coach, hand Nkata a different role“Salim Abdallah is back at Nairobi City Stars to add solidity to our backline ahead of the second leg. His return was necessitated by key injuries to two centrebacks Timothy Muganda and Edwin Buliba who have struggled with injuries sustained during the lengthy pre-season that ended in November 2022. With the two defenders out we were forced to plug in defensive midfiedler Ronney Kola to hold forte for a better part of the first leg,” Otieno said.
