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Harambee Starlets international Esse Akida has officially arrived at Greece to complete her signing with Greek giants FC PAOK Thessaloniki.
The former Thika Queens forward who has signed a one year deal was unveiled yesterday, Saturday August 14 by the club.
Born in November 18, 1992, Akida plays mainly as a centre-forward but can also be used as a winger. This is the second time, Akida has completed a move with a foreign club.
In 2018 she travelled to Israel where she signed for Ramat HaSharon FC, for the 2018-19 season, she played mainly as a full back, recording 19 appearances with four goals and five assists.
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In February 2020, she transferred to Besiktas and a year later left due to the suspension of the Turkish championship due to the Covid-19 pandemic, without being able to become the first Kenyan to play in the Champions League.
At that point, she returned home and signed for Thika Queens. In 2016 she won the Golden Boot at the COTIF Women's Tournament and the Golden Boot Shoe at the Cecafa Women's Championship.
In 2016, Akida made history by scoring Kenya's first ever goal at the Africa Women's Cup against hosts Ghana.
In a statement, PAOK described her as a valuable asset. “She is an integral part and top scorer in the history of the Kenyan national team and has 33 appearances with the Starlets managing 15 goals and nine assists."
On signing the deal, Akida said: "I am incredibly excited to become a member of PAOK's women's team. I had heard about the team when I was playing in Turkey. My dream is to play in the Champions League and I believe I will make it happen here.
“I come to one of the biggest clubs on the planet. PAOK is known in the world of football and I believe that we can achieve great things as a team.
I will make the dream of the Champions League come true with the Club. I know there are big names in the event but nothing is impossible. We can shock some teams.
"I like the football culture that PAOK stands for, it is something we watch and read about often. I know that my adaptation will not be difficult because we all speak the language of football. My only goals are to help the team achieve its goals.”