Turkana County’s up and coming Hillside FC will have to do another season in the Football Kenya Federation Division 2 after falling in the promotion play-offs to Kakamega County’s Soy United. Hillside, having topped their Zone C standings in the just concluded season, only had one more hurdle to overcome in order to secure a Div one slot. Soy’s spirits were, however, not to be matched on the day.Taking a 3-1 humbling from the contest, Hillside, captained by former Kakamega Homeboyz forward Gaetan Masha, took humble lessons. ‘’If you win a game by that margin you were the better side and that’s what Soy did,’’ says Masha. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8210017##‘’As compared to us, they were more prepared for the occasion and we concede defeat even as we plan for the new season. I wouldn’t say we did not play well but just luck. It was not on our side,’’ he added.Masha left Homeboyz at the end of the 2022/23 season, this after winning the Mozzart Bet Cup with the team. A move that appeared to be strange at the time given how critical he had become part of Coach Patrick Odhiambo’s unit. Kahiro to returns to KCB after four-month spell at BandariHe says he felt the need to go back home and help out his home team climb up. ‘’I needed to take a rest and my home team Hillside had been calling me a lot. So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to offer help and regain my confidence too. They are young boys from within the county and are very determined to play at the top level. Having been there myself, I feel I can guide them somehow,’’ says Masha who first sprung to fame with Nzoia Sugar FC. Gor Mahia newboy elated with debut goal, disappointed not to beat TelecomHillside is a Lodwar community team founded by one Simon Logilare who works at the Turkana County government. Feeling the need to raise a club and give the local talent a platform, Logilare rallied the community and founded the club. Though doing well in the Div 2 and losing out on automatic promotion, Masha stays hopeful that something positive can open up. ‘’We are currently preparing for the new season as we await to listen to the direction from the management. The team mostly has players drawn from within Turkana county but in the future given how fast we are rising, more talent from other counties are very welcome to join,’’ he adds. How cyberbullying forced KCB striker to deactivate social media accounts after Mozzart Bet Cup penalty missThe left-footed forward did two seasons with Homeboyz, first signed by then coach Bernard Mwalala and later playing his second season under Odhiambo. Prior to that, he had made a name at Nzoia’s famed Sudi stadium- attracting such Kenyan giants as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards but eventually opting for Homeboyz
