Collins Sichenje: Kenyan defender signs for Charlton Athletic

Kenya national team defender Collins Sichenje completed a transfter deadline day from Serbian SuperLiga side FK Vojvodina to EFL Championship outfit Charlton Athletic on Monday.

The 22-year-old put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal with the club, and becomes the Addicks’ seventh signing of the window following the arrivals of Harry Clarke, Lyndon Dykes, Luke Chambers, Tiernan Brooks, Jayden Fevrier and Conor Coady.

“Charlton Athletic are delighted to announce the signing of Kenyan international Collins Sichenje from Serbian SuperLiga side FK Vojvodina,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

‘It’s a big step for my career’

Upon signing his long-term contract, Sichenje said: “It feels amazing to be here. It’s a good club with a good project and I’m ready to start working. It’s a big step for my career. It’s a good opportunity to keep working, developing and help the team, so I just need to be humble and keep working – that’s the goal.”

 

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Confirming the decision to sign the player, who was key for Kenya during the CHAN tournament co-hosted in East Africa, Charlton Managing Director James Rodwell, said: “We’re delighted to sign Collins.

“He’s a player we’ve been tracking for a long time and was originally budgeted to join us this summer as part of our multi-window strategy to move the club forward.

“We’re pleased that the opportunity arose for him to join us earlier than we expected and are grateful to the ownership for their support in enabling us to bring him to the football club at this stage.”

‘He’s an aggressive, front-footed defender’

Manager Nathan Jones added: “We’re thrilled to add Collins, who is a defender that we’ve been tracking for a long, long time. He’s an aggressive, front-footed centre-back who is only 22 years of age, so he’s one that can grow with us and one that we’re excited to be welcoming to the football club.”

 

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Sichenje started his career with Green Commandos before moving to Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards in September 2019.

Following a brief spell in Greece with PAOK B, the centre-back returned to AFC Leopards before joining Swedish top-flight side AIK in 2022.

After spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Finnish outfit KuPS Kuopio, he joined FK Vojvodina on an initial six-month loan, with the move made permanent in September 2024 following an impressive start to life in Serbia.

Sichenje has represented Kenya eight times to date, having made his debut in a 1-0 win over South Sudan in March 2021.