Omalla sets KPL alight with his exploits for Gor Mahia

Tucked in one of the vast slums of Kisumu is a centre that has worked hard for years to produce a line of excellent players for clubs in the Kenyan Premier League.

Many of the current generations of Kenyan football luminaries have ties to the Manyatta Resource Centre.

High-flying Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla, who is currently having one of his best seasons ever, is one of Manyatta's favourite sons.

The mercurial striker is in a league of his own, having scored 15 goals in 14 matches, averaging a goal per match.

Omalla, a quick-paced marksman capable of unleashing rasping shots with either leg, has carried the club on his shoulders with his magical run.

He has undoubtedly won over the hearts of the picky K'Ogalo devotees, who are typically unforgiving of a lacklustre performance.

His most recent accomplishment came on Tuesday when he scored three goals to lead his team to a 4-0 victory over Wazito at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani in Nairobi.

Omalla opened the floodgates with a screamer only eight minutes into the match, before capping off his outstanding performance in Wazito's attacking third with further successful forages in the 34th and 43rd minutes.

It was not the first time this season that he had a hat trick. Omalla was the toast of the day on January 22 when he struck thrice against Vihiga Bullets to give Gor a well-deserved 3-1 victory at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.

From the look of things, the 20-year-old fleet-footed clinical finisher is having a good time at work. He has been scoring at will while blazing past his opponents with unmatched ease.

"When I score in every match we play, I become extremely motivated. It not only increases my chances of winning the Golden Boot, but it also keeps the team's hopes of winning the championship alive this season "Omalla stated.

"Every time we play an opponent, I want to see my name on the scoreboard. I'll be happy if I can celebrate a goal in every game."

Omalla has lavished praise on his teammates and coaches, saying he owes them a debt of gratitude for pushing him to unprecedented heights.

"We had a very good pre-season as a team. We did a lot of finishing practices with the coaches' help, so it was easy for me to score during matches," he said.

"My teammates and members of the technical bench have motivated me to aim higher and score more goals. I am not ready to let them down."

Omalla also praised the 12th player for sticking by the team through thick and thin.

"Because of the fans' high expectations, they make us work harder every day. No player would want to offend Gor Mahia supporters," Omalla stated.

Indeed, so impressive has Omalla been this season that K'Ogalo supporters have been chanting choruses in his praise.

Every time he touches the ball and spearheads a forage into the opponent's territory, the stands go silent with anticipation before erupting into wild cheers after he blasts the net.

The young striker is all too aware that anything less than a championship this season will be fatal for the team, especially with fan expectations now at an all-time high.

"We are prepared to give the fans what they want. We have not won the KPL championship in the last two years, but I think we will this year," Omalla said.

Omalla's path to success, however, has not been an easy one. He had to work tirelessly to crack his current status in football.

An alumnus of the famous Kisumu Day High School, Omalla's meteoric rise began in 2018 when he won the Golden Boot at the Chapa Dimba na Safaricom tournament's Nyanza region and national finals.

His outstanding exploits in a series of youth tournaments earned him a contract with the now-defunct Western Stima in the Kenyan Premier League the following year.

At 17, and still in school, he became the youngest player ever to win the LG Player of the Month Award while featuring Western Stima in the 2019 KPL season.

Omalla then signed a five-year contract with Gor Mahia in June 2020.

However, despite his high ratings as a budding striker, Omalla did not receive regular playing time with the Kenyan giants.

Frustrations and loneliness crept in when it dawned on him that he had to compete for a spot in the first team with Burundian Jules Ulimwengu and South Sudanese Tito Okello, both of whom were signed in the same transfer window.

Omalla was almost always relegated to the bench, much to his chagrin. However, his most disappointing moment was being forced to return home following a brief professional stint with FC Linkoping City in Sweden's Division One league.

Omalla ended his six-month loan agreement after only four months, citing frustration and being forced to play out of position.

"I was forced to return home due to frustration. I was being played out of position and could no longer take it," Omalla explained.

Omalla had expressed a desire to join pro football immediately after sitting his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and told of his readiness to play in Sweden after completing his national examination.

"My focus was to play football as I waited for my results. I'd been following Linkoping for a while and had even watched three of their matches," he said.

"Given my talent, I had a burning desire to grow and play professional football as a young player. I was always confident that going to Sweden would be the start of a successful football career."

Unfortunately, things did not work out for him, and he was forced to return home when his short-term contract expired.

Omalla stated that his most memorable football moment occurred on November 25, 2019, when he played for Western Stima in a tough league match against a more-fancied KCB.

"We were on the verge of losing to KCB at Moi Stadium in Kisumu. Salim Babu, our coach, introduced me in the second half, and I scored a 91st-minute winner," Omalla recalls.

Omalla is determined to break the goalscoring record set by former Tusker FC striker Boniface Ambani, who scored 26 goals during the 2016 KPL season.

"I believe that anything is possible and that records are there to be broken. I believe I can break the record if I continue scoring and performing like this," he said.

When the season began, he set a reasonable target of scoring at least 10 goals by the end of the first leg, which he has already surpassed.

Spurred by his success in the season thus far, Omalla is now convinced that he is capable of exceeding his initial expectations.

"If I have scored 10 goals in 10 matches, I believe I can do a lot more before the end of the first leg. I'm just going to take it one game at a time and see what happens at the end of the season," he said.

He goes on to say that self-belief is essential for any player who wants to stand out in a crowded field.

"Hard work is required. There are some good defenders around, and to find the back of the net, one must be at the top of their game," he stated.

Having previously been called up to the national team, Harambee Stars, but failing to make the first team, Omalla now believes he has what it takes to make the first 11.

"Previously, I received some call-ups but was never selected for the final team. Now that I'm in better shape, I believe I can do it. If given the opportunity, I will prove myself," the striker stated.

Jonathan McKinstry, the head coach of Gor Mahia, has predicted that the young striker will break records due to his unique ability to score goals.

"I have no doubts in Omalla's capability as a striker. He is one of the most talented forwards I have come across in the region and what's even more encouraging is that he's still a young man," McKinstry said.

"He's doing well, and adapting to what we're trying to do, and as a striker I expect him to get better in a competitive environment when the league starts."

Philemon Otieno, teammate and K'Ogalo captain, praised Omalla for being a team player.

"With the ball, he is not vindictive. He only attempts when he is confident that he will score and, if he is not in a favourable position, sets up his teammates," stated Otieno.

"He is having one of his best seasons, which is advantageous for both him and the team. If he keeps playing like he has been, he could lead us to our 20th championship this year."

There seems to be nothing to stop Omalla from easily winning the Golden Boot this season given his excellent form.

But if his performance propels Gor Mahia to the title, then that will undoubtedly be a big plus for him.

It has been a full two seasons since K'Ogalo added silverware in their cabinet. Can Omalla handle the job? Only time will tell.

PROFILE

Name: Benson Omalla

Date of birth: October 16, 2001

Height: 180cm

Preferred foot: Right

Education

Manyatta Resource Centre

Kisumu Day High School

Clubs

Chipolopolo

Manyatta

2017-2019: Western Stima

September 2020-March 2021: FC Linkopings, Sweden

July 2021 to date: Gor Mahia

National Team Call-Up

2020-Kenya Under 20

2021 Cecafa Senior Championships in Arusha, Tanzania

2021-Kenya Under 23

2021 Cecafa Senior Championships in Ethiopia