Yuto Kusaba is a Japanese forward currently turning out for Kenyan Premier League[1] side Nairobi City Stars.[2]

Yuto Kusaba
Personal information
Full name Yuto Kusaba
Date of birth (2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Osaka, Japan
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
2019 St.Andrews FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019-2020 Momoyama Gakuin University
2020-22 Basara Hyogo
2023 FC Zenshin 10 (8)
2023 Nairobi City Stars 13 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:31, 26 Jun 2024 (UTC)

Career

edit

Yuto featured for lower-tier sides in Japan including St. Andrews FC, Momoyama Gakuin University, and FC Basara Hyogo in the Kansai Soccer League between 2019 and 2023.[3]

He then traveled to Kenya as a volunteer for an NGO in Embu, and it was while there that he joined fourth-tier side FC Zenshin. Yuto then moved to Nairobi City Stars in August 2023[4] from the Embu-based club but was locked out[5] of participating in the top Kenyan topflight league after it emerged that International Transfer guidelines were never met when he first arrived in Kenya.

However,[6] he completed his registration in the mid-transfer window in January 2024 and went on to debut for City Stars[7] on Sunday 4 Feb with a substitute appearance against Shabana FC at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

He registered his maiden Kenyan Premier League goal[8] after scoring an 85th minute penalty against Muranga SEAL at the Police Sacco Stadium on Saturday 13 Apr 2024. He scored a brace against KCB in the 2023-24 Premier league season ender at Utalii grounds on Sun 24 June 2024 to end the season with three goals.

References

edit
edit