•Jobita has taken a swipe at player agents as he frets over the future of teenage sensation Benson Omala
•Omala scored a superb hat trick on Wednesday as Stima thrashed Zoo Kericho 4-1 to cement their place in the top five
Western Stima boss Laban Jobita has taken a swipe at player agents as he frets over the future of teenage sensation Benson Omala.
He, however, intimated that he will not stand in the way of the Under-20 international should he decide to seek new challenges away from the club.
“Agents are the ones who put pressure on the players. No matter what you do as a club, they will insist to take them somewhere where they (agents) can make money. They are never concerned with the development of the players' careers.”
Omala has been a revelation for Stima since the season began and was part of the Rising Stars squad that finished second in the Cecafa Championship earlier in the year. He was considered for the senior team that is currently in Uganda for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup but was dropped. All this has improved his profile and Jobita admitted it's just a matter of time before he departs.
“I will never stop a player from going out in search of greener pastures. Previously, I have lost many players to other teams but I have never lacked upcoming talent to fill their void. Therefore, I will not be worried whether Omala or any other of our player wants to leave,” remarked Jobita.
Omala scored a superb hat-trick on Wednesday as Stima thrashed Zoo Kericho 4-1 to cement their place in the top five. That performance in addition to his displays over the last 18 months has put him top on the most coveted players' list and Jabuya seemed resigned to the inevitability of his departure.
“I know clubs like Tusker and Wazito who have the resources will be looking at him. But my advice to them will be that they should wait a lit bit so that he can mature before seeking a move elsewhere where the pressure to perform is immense,” said the Stima chairman.
“My previous experiences with the players who left is that only the mature ones tend to go on and perform because they know how to deal with expectations, unlike the younger ones,”Jobita further observed.
Despite the club now only being three points off top spot,Jobita insisted that they are not looking beyond their earlier target of finishing in the top five. Salim Babu's side are currently fourth in the KPL standings with 24 points.