By Cliff Abenaitwe
UGANDA Cranes’ prolific striker Emmanuel Okwi has joined Tunisia soccer club Etoile Sportive Du Sahel from Tanzanian giants Simba Sports Club.
The North Africa club paid 300,000 $ dollars (sh750m) to get the player.
The 20-year-old player confirmed the move on his Facebook page.
“I am officially a player of Etoile Sportive Du Sahel,” Okwi remarked.
“Let me take this chance to thank all Simba fans and officials for the support given to me. Everyone was special to me, God bless u all,” Okwi wrote on his page.
He also posted photographs of himself and officials of his new club.
The photographs were also posted on the club’s website.
Okwi joined Simba for about sh100m on a two-year contract in 2010. It was renewed late last year.
The striker’s switch means that Simba made a profit of over sh600m in two years.
Okwi continued to show his goal scoring abilities when he netted 4 goals in 5 games to become the second top scorer at the 2010 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
He later became a darling of Ugandan soccer fans when he netted an equaliser in the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Angola in Luanda.
The match was held in June last year.
He was also a key member of Cranes team that beat old rivals Kenya in the final to extend their record in the CECAFA show to 13 wins.
The annual tournament was held in Kampala last year.
Okwi’s transfer to Tunisia is seen by soccer analysts as a major step in his career and he shares the same belief.
“It is a new challenge and a big step in my career”, Okwi said on his Facebook page.
