Johnstone Omurwa Excels in Europe: Salary and Prospects of Kenyan Defender

C.F. Estrela da Amadora, having rebounded from disbandment and returning to the top Portuguese division after 14 years, are now in a firm mid-table position. Playing a pivotal role in the team’s historic success is Kenyan defender Johnstone Omurwa, whose second European season appears more promising. 

What is Johnstone Omurwa’s Salary at C.F. Estrela da Amadora?

The Kenyan national team defender joined the Portuguese club in the summer of 2022, with his agreement running until June 30, 2024. For the remaining season, Omurwa will earn €90,000, excluding bonuses, equivalent to €1,731 per week.

Team Salary Overview: Johnstone Omurwa – Second Among Highest-Paid African Players

In the 2023/2024 season, C.F. Estrela da Amadora’s total wage expenditure amounts to €3,090,000, or €59,423 per week, the lowest budget among all Primeira Liga clubs. The highest-paid player on the team is defender Pedro Mendes, earning €480,000 per year or €9,231 per week. Johnstone Omurwa ranks 17th in the team’s salary hierarchy, ninth among foreign players, and second among African players in the club. Omurwa is only surpassed by Angolan national team defender Kialonda Gaspar, whose salary is €30,000 higher.

Career Salary Comparison

Before moving to Europe, Johnstone Omurwa spent three years playing for Wazito F.C. At the beginning of the 2022/2023 season, the Kenyan club faced financial difficulties, suggesting that the defender did not earn more than one million Kenyan shillings per year (approximately €6,000). Currently, in Portugal, Omurwa receives the highest salary of his career.

Market Value: Omurwa Makes Top Ten Most Expensive U25 Players 

Upon signing with the first Kenyan to play in the Primeira Liga, C.F. Estrela da Amadora did not disclose the player’s transfer amount. Despite not having a consistent place in the lineup in his first European season, the defender has not lost value. Currently, Transfermarkt estimates Johnstone Omurwa’s transfer value at €150,000, placing him in the top ten most expensive players under 25 at the Portuguese club.

National Team Achievements

Johnstone Omurwa made his debut for the Kenyan national team in the fall of 2019. Since the last African Cup of Nations in the summer of that year, where Kenyans participated, the defender did not have the opportunity to play in major tournaments. For a long time, Omurwa did not receive playing time, but since September 2023, he has played in four out of five matches. The last time he took the field for the Kenyan national team was in the November qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup against Gabon and Seychelles.

Football and Salary Prospects

After missing the first Primeira Liga round, Omurwa returned to the squad and secured a place as a starting defender for C.F. Estrela da Amadora in the 2023/2024 season. If the Kenyan maintains his starting position and helps the Portuguese team solidify its place in the elite division, he will increase his chances of contract renewal and a salary increase.