Ayub Timbe: Kenya winger with assist in Vissel Kobe draw vs Kashiwa Antlers

Kenya international Ayub Timbe made his full debut for new club Vissel Kobe as they battled to a 1-1 draw against Kashiwa Antlers in a Japanese top-tier match played on Saturday.

The speedy winger was starting his first match since signing for Kobe and he weighed in with a cross which led to the team’s goal scored by Kyogo Furuhashi just before half-time, but the goal did not earn them maximum points as Antlers scored late in the 84th minute courtesy of Ayase Ueda to earn the draw.

Since moving to the club on March 1, Timbe, who was only unveiled on April 17, had only managed two substitute appearances - his home debut in the 0-0 draw against Shonan Bellmare and the 1-0 Japanese League Cup defeat against Tokushima Vortis.

Against Antlers, Timbe was handed a start by coach Atsuhiro Miura and he did not disappoint as in the 28th minute, he weaved past Antlers defenders before laying a neat pass to Furuhashi, who made no mistake with his first time shot for the deserved lead.

The former Beijing Renhe winger was also involved as Kobe almost went 2-0 up in the 34th minute: after dribbling past two defenders, his cross to Sergi Samper was cleared out of the danger zone by Antlers defender Kim Machida.

On signing for the team, Timbe, who also played for EFL Championship side Reading on loan from Renhe, revealed how Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga played a hand in his transfer to Kobe.

“When I was in China I remember watching some of the Vissel Kobe games, there is one game I was so impressed about the team and since then I said to myself Kobe is really a good team and then you guys had Iniesta, you also had Lukas [Podolski], and I was always having this feeling it is a good club,” Timbe said during the interview recorded by Kobe Online TV.

“I also remember talking to my colleague Michael [Olunga] while on national team duty and he was like if you really want to go to Japan and you want a good team, it is Vissel Kobe, it is one of the best teams, like in everything, in the players, in the facilities just everything, so I just had a good feeling with the club before I even I joined.”

Timbe continued: “Almost everywhere, like when I was in Belgium and also England and when I was in Kenya, if you ask anyone do you know any club in Japan, they will say Vissel [Kobe], everyone and for me, it was easy to pick the team when they came for my services.”

Olunga left a mark in Japan while playing for Kashiwa Reysol after he won the Golden Boot in the 2020 J1 League season when he netted 28 goals in 32 games and went ahead to lift the Most Valuable Player award, becoming the first African to do so in Japan.

Kobe will next be involved in a J-League Cup game against Oita Trinita on Wednesday, April 28 before they face Sanfrecce in a league match on Saturday, May 1.