Harambee Stars defender Johnstone Omurwa will feature in the Portuguese top tier after his club Estrela da Amadora was promoted.

Omurwa’s side secured their place in the top flight after beating Maritimo 3-2 in Madeira on penalties.

Estrela saw off their promotion playoff rivals when they scored from the spot kick through Jean Filipe, Mansur, and Vito, with Aloisio failing to score his penalty.

Penalty misses by Diogo Mendes Chuchu Ramirez and Felix Correia handed the ticket to Omurwa’s side.

Omurwa’s uncertain future

However, it remains to be seen whether Omurwa will be part of the Portuguese club next season, having played only seven games.

They will be part of the top flight next, and Omurwa could get a chance to face off with top clubs like Porto and Benfica. Given the recent evolution Estrela has undergone in the last decade, they will need a top performance in order to remain in the Primeira Liga for even more seasons.

Estrela was founded in the summer of 2020 after a merger between Clube Desportivo Estrela and Club Sintra Football occurred.  

After the merger, Estrela did not take on the owners of any of its predecessors, as they were effectively a new club.

After Estrela Amadora closed its doors in 2011, it opened the doors for the formation of the current outfit. A group of supporters founded Estrela and kept the legacy, youth teams, and other sports of its predecessors.

Estrela evolution

The senior team was created in 2018 and played in the Lisbon Football Association regional championships.

A spot in the third division was secured in 2020 after a majority of the club members voted in favour of a merger between the club and Sintra FC. Andre Geraldes was elected president, and their first season ended in promotion, although they lost 1-0 in the playoff final to CD Trofense.

Omurwa has played for a number of clubs in the Kenyan Premier League, including Mathare United and Wazito on two occasions.

Although he enjoyed regular call-ups and became a starter under Francis Kimanzi, he has recently been overlooked when Harambee Stars squads are constituted.

Current coach Engin Firat has over time called up David Ochieng, Daniel Sakari, Collins Sichenje, Robinson Kamura, Kevin Luke Otiala, Eric Ouma, Aboud Omar, and Daniel Anyembe for Harambee Stars assignments.

Should he become a regular player next season, he may regain his slot on the national team. The competitive nature of the Portuguese top flight will give Omurwa a chance to play against top opponents, thereby easily attracting Firat’s attention and being considered for Harambee Stars’ future duties.

Featuring in the league will also give him an opportunity to perform and market himself to bigger clubs in Europe.

Omurwa’s career growth

Omurwa’s career has witnessed steady growth since he finished his secondary education at Butere Boys’ High School.

He signed for Wazito in 2017 before joining Mathare United in 2018 and making his debut for the Slum Boys in a match against Vihiga United in February of that year.

In August 2019, the defender chose to return to Wazito, although he had been linked with foreign clubs like Petro Atletico of Angola.

He could have joined former Gor Mahia striker Jacques Tuyisenge had the deal gone through in the summer of 2020.

At the national level, he featured for the Kenya national U23 team and made his debut against Mauritius in a 2020 Olympic qualification match in November 2018.

The defender made his debut for the senior Harambee Stars team on Sunday, September 8, 2019, in a friendly match against Uganda that ended in a one-all draw.