On the same day the Cameroonian Meteorological Authority was reported to have influenced the moving of AfCON 2021 to a relatively drier month of January, Kenyan international, Anthony ‘Teddy’ Akumu, was reported to have made a move to Kaizer Chiefs, from ZESCO United, but after his bank account was promised ‘more rain’.
We can now confidently reveal that Teddy turned down a possible move to Belgium and another tempting one to Primero De Agosto of Angolo, in order to play in one of Africa’s oldest and biggest football derbies (the Soweto Derby), for one of the most supported football clubs in South Africa!
The Soweto-based ‘Amakhosi’ tabled a more lucrative deal than the Ndola-based ‘Team Ya Zico’, who had hoped they would continue keeping him in their stable, a contract whose details were not only inviting but also seem to have married into Teddy Akumu’s personal and professional ambitions.
First, the release of Ghanian midfielder James Kotei by Kaizer Chiefs seems to have assured Teddy Akumu of more playing time at Kaizer Chiefs.
The Kenyan defensive midfielder is also said to have agreed to the 3-year deal, because of what is in it for him; Akumu 27, will pocket a signing fee of USD 120,000, with a 10% increase after every season completed.
Akumu will on top of that be entitled to a good monthly income, an amount three times his last salary at Zesco United, winning bonuses of up to USD 2,000 (only payable after 3 consecutive wins), a house, and 2 return air-tickets in a year, for his immediate family’s visit to his base in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Anthony Akumu started his early football at “Real Mathare”, in the people’s settlements of Mathare (North), then playing in the MYSA leagues, before making a big local move to Gor Mahia FC in 2010 aged 17-years.
He then left Gor Mahia after 4 full seasons for the Sudanese league (Al Khartoum), where he played for 2 seasons.
In 2016, Teddy, an alumnus of Maina Wanjigi Secondary School, then signed and settled in the Zambian Super League, turning out for the ZSL giants, ZESCO United.
The mercurial passer of the ball has spent the last 4 impactful years in the city of Ndola, before seeking his current new football challenge in the “Rainbow Nation”.
