Winning an accolade in sports doesn’t come easy especially if it is the golden boot award in whatever championship in the game of football.
Many players across the world have graced this beautiful sport but only a few remain ingrained in the memory of fans as the rest fade away into oblivion.
Those who have braved the test of time and left the sweetest gossip on everyone’s lips have had one thing in common; they scored numerous goals and left the net wobbling uncontrollably to the chants of roaring crowds stands while they celebrated with whatever style they could, spontaneous or rehearsed.
By finding the back of the net, they brought trophies home; elicited deep emotions and kept fans on the edge of their seats as they lurked in wait, prowling for chances to connect crosses, making inroads in the 18-yard box, sometimes hitting the woodwork and eventually, slamming the back of the net much to the chagrin of their opponents as their jubilant fans broke into song and dance.
Most of them were amazing strikers who sent the stands erupting into celebrations after firing awesome long-range strikes past hapless and dazzled but equally celebrated goalkeepers.
From Argentina’s Guillermo Stábile, who was the first top scorer in the World Cup, to our very own African icon Roger Milla, who wiggled and gyrated his hips at the corner flag while celebrating each of his goals, history is replete with these amazing men who evoked joy and tears in equal measure, depending on the side they were on.
As we walk down the memory lane groping for names of those who bagged golden boot awards after lighting up stadia, it would only be fair if we adjusted our antenna to catch the local waves.
Here at home, Ulinzi Stars striker Enosh Ochieng stands tall among the latest crop of top flight players, having scooped the much-coveted golden boot award after emerging the 2018/19 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) top scorer, albeit, jointly with Allan Wanga (Kakamega Homeboyz) and Umar Kasumba (Sofapaka), with 17 goals each.
Born in Taita Taveta, the 29-year-old soldier attached to the Kenya Defence Forces is the firstborn in a family of five boys and three girls. He spent his formative years in Homabay, attending Asego Primary School where his eagle-eyed teachers took notice of his talent in football early enough to draft him into the school team.
Their decision to include him on the team was not in vain as his exceptional abilities stood out during the inter-school games, securing him an immediate slot in the district select-team.
Ochieng sat for his KCPE in 2007 and joined Lambwe High School where, while still in his first year, he was an important part of their success as they easily made it past the zonal stages and went on to clinch the district trophy and book themselves a place in the provincial games that were held in Bondo in 2008.
In 2009, steered by the encouragement of their passionate home fans and playing in their own backyard, they lived up to expectations and romped into the provincial finals in Homabay.
Generally, his four years at Lambwe were largely wrapped up in a package of achievements, given that later, in 2010 and 2011, they made it to the provincial semis and finals of different editions of the competition in Kisumu and Kisii respectively.
Ochieng says that he didn’t play as a striker throughout his years in school, but had once turned out as a central defender during the 2010 games held in Kisumu.
With high school done and dusted, he relentlessly still pursued his dream by plying his trade for teams in his home town, starting off at Shauri Yako Rangers, a village team in Homabay, before moving on to Milimani FC which was featuring in the National Super League at that time.
Trusting his instincts and mustering up enough courage, he packed his bags and traveled many kilometres away to Kisumu to try out with Muhoroni Youth in December, 2012. Going by the outcome, it obviously appears he was well prepared for it. An impressed Muhoroni Youth head coach, Alfred Imonje, took him in immediately and signed him up for the 2013 KPL season.
Apparently, Ochieng had been cut out to be a football star. His curve was on the rise. One day, while featuring for the millers, his exploits on the field caught the keen eye of the no-nonsense and hard-to-please Ulinzi FC head coach Robert Matano, who contacted him on the phone in December as soon as the season concluded and scheduled to meet him.
He was soon on his way to Nakuru where he held talks with Ulinzi Stars management, who immediately recommended him for admission to the Recruits Training School in Eldoret where he spent seven months cutting his teeth as a soldier.
After completing training he linked up with the side in 2015 for the second leg of the season.
“It took me only two weeks to convince Matano to give me a chance to play my first league match,” says Ochieng, adding: “My debut appearance for the soldiers against Nakuru All Stars was my best ever game. I came off the bench to net a brace to send the home fans into frenetic celebrations at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.”
Today, with more than 50 KPL goals to his credit, Ochieng says his best is yet to come. His thirst for goals is evident in the fact that he won the golden boot award last season.
Asked about how he felt after a decision was made to strip him of the goals he scored during their match against Mount Kenya United, Ochieng says it was a deflating feeling he wouldn’t wish to go through again.
“I felt so bad. Although I was not at fault, what else could I have done after they reached that decision? I left it all to God because He is in charge of our lives,” he says.
The incident was full of twists and turns, at one time Ochieng almost literally having the meat removed from his mouth. He had been awarded Sh250,000 and 49’ LG Smart TV, during the LG/Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK) awards for his 20 league goals for the soldiers before a controversial ruling drastically reduced his tally to 17.
The Kenyan Premier League Independent Disciplinary, Complaint and Appeals Committee (IDCAC) met on August 22, 2019 and decided to nullify the match and hand Ulinzi a walkover instead.
Ochieng had scored a hat-trick in Ulinzi’s 4-0 win over Mount Kenya United in the final match of the season to finish three goals ahead of Wanga and Kasumba.
The IDCAC ruling meant that there were three official joint-top scorers. Following a complaint lodged by Ulinzi, the IDCAC also awarded Wanga’s goal against AFC Leopards to Jairus Adirah as an own goal reducing his initial 18-goal mark to 17.
However, despite the ruling, Ochieng still retained his prizes and breathed a sigh of relief after SJAK reached a verdict that the awards had been presented before the case was heard and determined.
“The awards stay as they were. The ruling made yesterday shall not affect the award. The ruling had been made after the awards, therefore, we shall not reverse that,” Mike okinyi, SJAK Secretary General had said.
Ochieng has received call-ups to the national team on four different occasions, three of which he managed to make the final squad. His toughest national team assignment, he says, was when they came up against Tanzania last year in the Chan qualifiers.
On the local front, his toughest KPL match was against Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu last season.
He has, however experienced his best matches as well. Besides his maiden league match against Nakuru All Stars, he describes his league encounters with Sofapaka at Afraha in 2019 and Tusker in Ruaraka early in the year as his best moments. On both occasions, he bagged a brace. The Ulinzi Stars striker revealed that he has always found it a tall order beating Gor Mahia’s Joash Onyango.
Ochieng says he owes his success in football to the encouragement he always received from his father and his teachers, adding that his father, Tobias Abonga Barasa, gave him all the financial and moral support he needed in his formative years.
“My father is my number one fan. He supported me by buying anything I needed to play football. I would frequently accompany him to social halls where we would both watch live transmissions of the English Premier League (EPL) matches on TV. He did all this out of his love for the game,” says Ochieng.
Ochieng also singles out his primary school teacher Austine Otieno, whom the pupils popularly referred to as ‘Mbao’, as well as his two games teachers in high school, James ‘Ferguson’ Hamisi and a Mr. Jauyo.
Furthermore, he says he continues to receive a lot of support from his wife Emmah Awuor and his three daughters Seanice Carra, Enomy Puvy and Glydel Jade.
“Emmah has always been there for me. She’s always happy and encourages me a lot to continue working hard, while reminding me that it’s only God who knows the destiny of every individual. She and my dad are my top fans,” adds Ochieng.
Besides playing football, he takes out time to attend matches during his free time. His hobbies include swimming and listening to music.
He says that 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has always been his source of inspiration.
