Former AFC Leopards striker John Makwata has tipped the club's budding playmaker Austine Odhiambo to punch above his weight and advance his career to the next stage in the near future.
The two players enjoyed a formidable combination in the first leg of the just-concluded season before Makwata left for greener pastures in Zambia.
Makwata heaped praises on Odhiambo for supplying him with ammunition which saw him net more than ten goals before signing for Zambian champions Zesco United in January.
He said the national U-20 midfielder has a bright future ahead of him, owing to the superb displays he has shown since he was promoted to the senior team in April last year.
In an online interview, Makwata regretted the coronavirus pandemic which he said had barred Odhiambo among other players from showcasing his talent.
Odhiambo was part of the U20 squad which claimed silver during the Cecafa Championships last year in Uganda.
"He is a great talent and I believe this year he would have been on another level were it not for coronavirus. Age is on the side and I encourage him to keep on working hard. I was lucky to work with such a creative player at Leopards and I thank him for providing assistance in every match at Leopards," said the former KPL top scorer
Besides picking Odhiambo for praises, Makwata lauded Harambee striker Jesse Were for his accomplishments at Zesco. Were is Zesco's all-time top scorer. He said Were had depicted traits of a good ambassador in the Zambian league and was keen to replicate his success.
He revealed that the former Tusker man assisted him for his debut goal and further admitted to being envious of his success at the club.
He also said that Were played a massive role in convincing him to join the Ndola based outfit, where he currently plies his trade with other compatriots, namely Ian Otieno and David Owino.
"He is a respected man here, thanks to the great job he has done. He inspired me to join and I am learning a lot from him. He has broken records here and I feel the pressure to perform just like him,"' he added.
