I am not dating Gor coach Oktay, says Cynthia Nafula

Cindie Michaels, whose real name is Cynthia Nafula, has denied rumours doing rounds that she is dating Gor Mahia coach, Hassan Oktay.

The sassy beauty hit the headlines recently after a picture of her enveloped between Oktay's arms was allegedly leaked online by an unknown person.

In the picture, coach Oktay is clad in the traditional K'Ogalo jersey, blue sneakers and a radiant smile. Cindie is seen dressed in a pint-sized black dress, which from a safe distance, appears to be struggling to cover most of the flesh. And she is beautiful.

The Nairobian sought out Cindie, just to set the record straight. She agreed to meet this writer at a restaurant along Nairobi's Mombasa road.

She has tagged along a friend, her name is Vivian.

She accepts our interview on one condition; no recording, and so we oblige.

One thing strikes you the moment you meet her for the first time - her charm, focus and of course beauty.

She is still wearing the same hair, the seen one on her picture with the good coach.

"Are you dating Oktay?" we ask.

“He is a cool guy, but no we are not dating," she answers curtly, before emphasizing it with a contagious blush.

“That someone decided to share the picture on social media does not imply we are an item, does it? Honestly speaking, the coach is social, free, humble, loving and respects everyone, but we’re not dating,” she says.

“I had never met him before that picture. It was the first time I was meeting him, and just like any other fan who was around, I felt excited taking a photo with him,” she adds. The Nairobian has since learnt that the photo was taken on Camp Toyoyo grounds.

“It was my first time at Camp Toyoyo. And I went there for a purpose; some of my classmates and I are shooting a documentary about the state of local football. That’s why I found myself at Camp Toyoyo. In fact, the next day, we were at Sofapaka’s training ground in Eastleigh,” said Cindie who is studying for a diploma course at Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC), where she was Miss KIMC (2017).

Cindie is a Leopards fan, but loves football generally. She goes on to mention Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur, Michael Olunga of Kashiwa Reysol in Japan, Denis Oliech of Gor Mahia and John Mark Makwatta of Al Nasr Sporting Club in Kuwait as her favourite Kenyan football players.

Coach Oktay on his part told The Nairobian; “This is embarrassing and wrong. I see that photo circulating on social media and blogs and I shake my head in shock because I don’t know the lady,” Oktay told The Nairobian.

“She asked for a selfie, and I obliged. Nothing more. So I don’t even know the motive behind sharing that photo by whoever shared it.”

“As for me, I respect myself, I respect my family and I respect my job. I’m here to work. I’m not here for any showbiz.”

“So whoever, shared the photo online with a malicious intention must know that it was totally wrong. I didn’t like it,” he warned.

The picture came out just days after Coach Oktay lost his mobile phone under unclear circumstances.

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