Kenyan international Ayub Timbe was in action for his new side Nanjing City as they kicked off their season with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Heilongjiang Lava Spring FC in the opening fixture of the Chinese League One at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park stadium on Saturday afternoon.In his first game for the side, Timbe was deployed as one of the two twin strikers alongside Cameroonian international Raphael Messi Bouli and clocked full minutes in his return to Chinese football.Nanjing City starting XI vs Heilongjiang Ice City in #ChinaLeagueOne RD1Live: https://t.co/eHYlURUKiGGK1 Huang ZihaoDF4 Zhang Xinlin C5 Deng Biao 6 Duan Yunzi17 Sun GuoliangMF8 Jiang Shichao22 Xie Zhiwei30 Ababekri ErkinFW28 Messi Bouli40 Ayub Masika#CL1 pic.twitter.com/JQ8aeWblbr— HOTPOT FOOTBALL (@HotpotFootball) April 22, 2023 Following a 0-0 draw at halftime, Raphael Bouli struck for the hosts shortly after the hour mark in the 66th minute before 33-year old Jefferson doubled the scoreline for Nanjing in the 85th minute to wrap up the season-opening victory.The win puts the club founded in 2014 on top of the league standings with three points and a goal difference better than Dongguan FC who also won on the opening day with a single goal advantage.##NAJAVA_MECA_7202023##Saturday was the first time Timbe was playing in club football after having not played since December 2022, when he left Thai side Buriram United.Timbe signed a two year deal with Nanjing City at the end of March alongside Yaki Yen, both of whom have had experience of playing in China – for Beijing Renhe and Wuhan Three Towns, respectively.Masika is not new in China having been contracted with Beijing Renhe, now Beijing Chengfeng, between 2017 and 2020. In between his stay at the Chinese outfit, he was sent out on loan twice; first to Heilongjiang Ice City and then to Reading before finally leaving and joining Japanese side Vissel Kobe.The widely traveled had to wait until last year in his over decade-long career to win a league title, scoring for Buriram on the day that they lifted the Thai Premier League.Ayub Timbe has a new club after four months in the cold. He has signed for Chinese second tier side, Nanjing City FC.This is his second club in China after initially turning out for Beijing Renhe.#KenyansAbroad pic.twitter.com/vC0nWVoMhL— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) March 31, 2023 Timbe started his professional career in Belgium where he turned out for Genk and Lierse between 2011 and 2016. In 2017, he moved to China joining Beijing Renhe and it is during that period that he got loaned out to English Championship side, Reading. After half a season in England, he moved to Kobe for a couple of months and terminated his contract with the club.At the international level, Timbe has played for Kenya’s national team since 2012 with the highlight being playing in the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019. He has however been overlooked ever since.
