Ayub Timbe Masika is a Kenyan footballer who plays for the national team Harambee Stars and Reading Football Club. The forward plied his trade locally before moving abroad where he has played for a number of teams before finding a home in Chinese outfit Beijing Renhe from where he moved to Reading FC.
Masika’s greatest strengths are his self-belief, focus, physical strength, and consistency in giving his very best.
Age
He was born on 10th November 1992.
Career
A few months to his fourteenth birthday, he made it to Europe in 2006. Ayub joined Anderlecht’s club from JMJ Academy, Nairobi before heading to Beerschot AC in 2008.
In May 2010, he joined Genk on a two-year contract deal, playing for the reserves until he signed a four-year contract with the club in 2011. In his first match with the club, he came in at the 82nd minute in a draw against Zulte Waregem in January 2012. His first assist for the club came at the end of January in a 5-0 win against Oud-Heverlee Leuven. Ayub’s first goal for the club came in a 2-0 win against FC Luzern at the UEFA Europa League play-off round. He scored the goal in the 88th minute.
On 1st September 2014, Timbe was loaned to Lierse on a two season deal with an option to buy at the end of the season. He played the first match for the club on 13th September when he came in at the 68th minute in a match against Anderlecht. His first goal for the club came in a 4-0 Belgian Cup win against Sint-Truiden.
In July 2016, he was signed on a permanent three-year deal.
In February 2017, he joined China League One side Beijing Renhe scoring eight goals in his first season to help his team win promotion to the Chinese Super League.
The season after, he was loaned back to the second tier to play for Heilongjiang Lava Spring, though he also scored seven goals in 14 games in the top flight for Beijing Renhe.
On 31st January Masika joined EFL championship side Reading FC on a loan until the end of the season.
International Career
On 16th October 2012, he made his debut for Kenya in a match against South Africa. He came in the 61st minute as a substitute for Francis Kahata, a Simba SC midfielder and an attacking midfielder. Kenya lost to South Africa 2-1.
He refused to play on his second call UP claiming the Football Kenya Federation owed him money from his previous outing against Tanzania.
In May 2014, he returned against Comoros , in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. His stunning free kick 12 days later in a return leg loudly announced his arrival on the big stage. This was the first goal he scored for Harambee Stars in a 2-1 win and a second round matchup against Lesotho.
In the match against Zambia, everyone was in awe by his awareness and skills against the 2012 African Champions. His impressive performance was the talk of Kenya social media pages with veteran Kenyan journalist Linus Kaikai paying tribute to him on his Twitter account.
In June 2016, his opening goal against the Democratic Republic of Congo almost blew the net away in Kenya’s victory against DRC.
In 2018, he was suspended by the Confederation of African Football (CAF)for Harambee Stars’ next three 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Matches and fined $10,000 for an off the pitch incident.
In 2019, he played for Kenya in the Africa Cup of Nations and helped secure two assists in Kenya’s 3-2 victory against Tanzania. Unfortunately, Kenya left the competition early after losing to Algeria and Senegal.
Girlfriend
The player has a white girlfriend.
