Former AFC Leopards prospect Lawrence Luvanda has termed his loan spell cum permanent exit from the den as invaluable after impressing during his stay at county funded side Vihiga United.Back in 2018, while still in high school where he helped Chavakali win the 2018 edition of the Vihiga County Secondary Schools title, Luvanda was snapped up by AFC Leopards even before he cleared his post primary studies.Being fresh from high school and without any experience in the top flight Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL), Ingwe shipped out the budding talent out on loan to Vihiga in 2019 for playing time that they could not afford the teenager at the time before the deal was made permanent.We are glad to have acquired the services of Lawrence Luvanda from AFC Leopards on a one year loan deal. Luvanda is an immediate former Chavakali High School student. Karibu nyumbani Luvanda. #vufc pic.twitter.com/GuJjbazhfj— Vihiga United FC (@VihigaUnitedFC) January 5, 2019 It is at Vihiga where the youngster burst onto the scene and attracted raving reviews with his silky play that handed Vihiga a lifeline when it came to maintaining their top flight status. In the 2020/2021 campaign, six goals and four assists helped Vihiga escape automatic relegation by securing a FKFPL/NSL playoff spot against Kenya Police.Due to his eye catching display, Luvanda went on to be nominated in the 2020/2021 Young Player of the Year category where he finished third behind winner Henry Meja (Tusker) and Sylvester Owino (Kakamega Homeboyz) in his first season in the top flight league. The youngster reflected on his exit from Ingwe as the turning point for all his breakthrough season.“My loan period away from AFC Leopards was one of the best things to happen for me. I will always be grateful to them for believing in me and giving me a chance but I needed to play, something I was not getting while there,” he told Mozzart Sport. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mozzart Sport Kenya (@mozzartsportke) With his expectional perfomances in the middle of the park, the creative player is expected to join reigning champions Tusker after playing the crucial second leg fixture between Vihiga and Police. The first leg played at the Mumias Sports Complex played to a 1-1 draw and the reverse fixture is set for Saturday at Utalii Grounds.
