- The players are now neck and neck in the cutthroat race for the coveted accolade after blasting the back of the net 12 times apiece.
- Rupia scored 27 goals — two better than Omalla — on his way to the Golden Boot podium.
Image: HANDOUT
Gor Mahia FC talisman Benson Omalla has said he has his sights firmly trained on the Kenyan Premier League 'Golden Boot' gong after missing it by a whisker in the preceding season.
The clinical finisher spoke in an interview on Wednesday even as it emerged that enterprising Police FC forward Tito Okello had caught up with him in the goal scorers' leaderboard following the gruelling Round of 28 fixtures played over the weekend.
The players are now neck and neck in the cutthroat race for the coveted accolade after blasting the back of the net 12 times apiece.
However, in an interview on Wednesday, Omalla categorically stated that he is not quaking in the boots in the wake of the fierce challenge.
"I'll continue to score goals without putting much thought into the award. My main objective is to steer Gor Mahia to the winner's podium at the end of the season," Omalla remarked.
"I wouldn't mind winning the award because it would serve to cap off the league title and make my season more exciting. However, I don't want to put myself under unnecessary pressure," he added.
Besides the threat posed by the South Sudan forward, Omalla must look over his shoulders to steer clear of Tusker FC's Eric Kapaito who has netted 10 goals thus far, Bandari's Francis Kahiro (10) and teammate Austin Odhiambo who has nine goals to his credit.
Omalla, 25, proved his mettle as a razor-sharp striker after topping the goals chart for the better part of last season only to emerge second in the cutthroat race for the Golden Boot.
His glory was, however, nipped in the bud by Elvis Rupia, a former Police FC striker who has since joined Singinda Fountains in the Tanzania Premier League.
Rupia scored 27 goals — two better than Omalla — on his way to the Golden Boot podium.
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 and the rest is history.