•“We are happy we've been given a second chance. I would like to thank Moses Akaranga for believing in me and entrusting me with this great responsibility,” an upbeat Owoko said.
•“I have set two goals for the new season. First, I want to make the atmosphere at Bullets conducive to producing good results.
Newly-appointed Vihiga Bullets head coach George Owoko Oduor believes the club will surpass last season's disappointing bottom-place finish and crack the top ten under his leadership.
Owoko was appointed a fortnight ago, replacing Abdallah Juma, who oversaw their relegation in the previous season.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) National Executive Committee annulled the Kenyan Premier League season last week, giving the club a lifeline.
“We are happy we've been given a second chance. I would like to thank Moses Akaranga for believing in me and entrusting me with this great responsibility,” an upbeat Owoko said.
“I have set two goals for the new season. First, I want to make the atmosphere at Bullets conducive to producing good results.
“After achieving that, I will look to reach the top five in the first half of the season and then make sure we finish the competition in the top ten. I mean, football is a very funny game and winning the league is also possible," Owoko said.
Owoko lauded his charges for their gallant effort against Nzoia Sugar, a rival team in the Kenyan Premier League.
The sides settled for a one-all draw in the action-packed pre-season thriller staged last Saturday.
“We made a good account of ourselves in our match against Nzoia. You could see a burning desire to succeed in the match and I'm happy we managed to collect some positive results against a team of Nzoia's calibre.
Owoko said he expects his squad to gel well in the new season because most of them have been playing together for a while now.
“I have only brought in a few new names to replace the ones who left the club last season.
Owoko prides himself on guiding Barding Secondary School from Siaya county to the East African school games football title in 2016.
Additionally, he led St. Anthony's Kitale to the 2018 Copa Coca-Cola African under-16 football championship.
"I believe in developing talents. Football is a business and I wish to have a model where I can nurture young players in Vihiga Bullets so that the club can earn money by selling them once they are adequately polished.”
Formerly head coach and assistant coach at topflight behemoths Bandari and Tusker respectively, the title-winning tactician expressed his hope to guide the national team in the future.
"I aim to coach the national team one day and I have already proven that I am capable. I am the only Kenyan coach who has led the country to regional and continental titles in school sports.”
Owoko challenged FKF to appoint national team coaches on merit.
“To be honest, I still don't know the criteria they have been using to select national team coaches. Sometimes, it's not all about the papers one has, but what one has achieved on the job,” he said.
He said he felt slighted when some people continued to profile and label him as a foreigner.
“There are people who have been discriminating against me thinking that I am a foreigner. I played football in Uganda but that does not mean that I am from there. My father is from Khwisero and my mother is from Ugenya in Siaya county.”
Bullets open their new season's account against Wazito FC at Bukhungu stadium on November 19.