Coach Did Not Want More Foreigners : Why Sokari ’ s Move to Esperance Collapsed

On contractual agreement with Enyimba for the services of
Kingsley Sokari because they concluded the numbers of
foreign players in their squad was sufficient and that coach
José Anigo had opted to keep
Ivoirian Fousseni Coulibaly
instead of the Nigerian.
Sokari, 20, arrived in Tunis to negotiate a deal and complete
a possible medical after helping Nigeria to a second-round
finish at the Fifa U-20 World Cup in New Zealand in June,
but the much publicised move inadvertently fell through.
Enyimba had earlier revealed they opted out of the
midfielder’s transfer because Esperance failed to pay the
agreed fee, but the Tunis side has now claimed they decided
against signing Sokari due to the large number of foreign
players in their team.
“Esperance Sportive de Tunis manager waived the
recruitment of Nigerian Kingsley Sokari after consultation
with the coach Jose Anigo,” the club said in a statement .
“Indeed given the number of foreigners already present, our
club would rather enlist a foreign player more in line with
the needs of the team.
It also claimed that the coach was convinced to “retain
returnee Coulibaly in his squad at the expense of the
Nigerian.”
Nigerian striker Emem Eduok and Flying Eagles forward
Bernard Bulbwa are already playing for the Tunisian side.