Central defender Stephen Okola has confirmed his departure from 2009 league champions Sofapaka, bringing to an end his five-year-long stay at the club.Okola joined the Sofapaka Youth team in 2019 and was promoted to the senior team the following year after impressing the then-John Baraza-led technical bench.He enjoyed massive success early in 2020 as he broke into the starting lineup before football activities were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.##NAJAVA_MECA_7792366##It is the same year that the hard-tackling defender secured his first Harambee Stars call-up, making it to the provisional squad that was named for a friendly match against Zambia.Okola has been a key defender for Batoto Ba Mungu since his promotion to the senior team.What will inform Gor Mahia January transfer businessHowever, he struggled for playing time for the better part of the first leg of the current season due to the competition offered by the central defenders who joined the club before the start of the season.Okola told Mozzart Sport that he parted ways with Sofapaka on mutual consent and is thus free to sign elsewhere in the mid-season transfer window that opened on Monday.“I can confirm that I have left Sofapaka. I have enjoyed my stay at the club, and I wish them the very best for the remainder of the season,” he said.Nairobi City Stars midfielder Elvis Noor chuffed with recent runHaving bid his immediate former teammates goodbye, Okola said he was eager to pen a new deal with another top-flight club and start preparations for the second leg of the campaign.“I haven’t received offers yet, but I remain confident of attracting one or two. I am yearning for game time after a tough first leg,” he added.The exit of the 23-year-old from Sofapaka may as well imply that the former champions will likely sign another central defender to fill the gap that he left
