K’OGALO TOUCHLINE
By Nick Okello.
After so much hullabaloo from fans and football stakeholders, Harambee Stars head coach Egin Firat has called up Gor Mahia FC danger man Benson Omallo to his provisional squad that will be playing in the World Cup qualifiers against Sychelles and Gabon between 11th and 21st November.
In a letter addressed to the club by the federation, the two have been invited to join the national team training camp after the league fixtures next weekend.
Other than right back Rooney Onyango who had a splendid outing against Russia in Turkey last month, Omalla’s absence in the team has been quite bizarre owing to his near perfect form as a striker for his club Gor Mahia since last season. Infact, Omalla has shown enough proof that he’s the solution to our goal scoring lacuna which has been widening by every match given that Michael Olunga has been firing blanks in the last many games for the national team.
I well remember coach Firat’s assertion that he’s been leaving Omalla out of his plans for lack of fitness – a reason I find too pedestrian! Omalla now has scored seven goals in the last 9 games for Gor Mahia, and tops KPL goal scorers chat, even though Mr. Firat sees him unfit for a call up to the national team.
With captain Michael Olunga fading off the scorers platform, Kenya needs another marksman; or a finisher who is younger and will fill that position. Now, that person is ready and available in Benson Omallo. He’s got pace and physic to intimidate opposing defenders, his goal scoring instinct is always right and he often positions himself well in the box. However, Omalla still needs coaching on his balling techniques to be an all round footballer. He also must be able to shoot with both feet in situations that demand so.
In a nutshell, Omalla is still work in progress and if managed well, can easily become our new Denis Oliech for country and club.
My challenge to Omalla is to prove his naysayers wrong by shining in the field of play should the manager call him up for duty on both ties, I want him to cement his position and give Kenyans hope once again that another Oliech has been born. He should now scale up his training and maintain high level of discipline, he should open his account of goals to challenge Denis Oliech record (all time highest scorer) for Harambee Stars.
Omalla’s strengths are in his young age, blistering pace, good body physic and his already established name as a prolific attacker at club level.
Gor Mahia FC full back Rooney Onyango is becoming quite a sensation now! The 23 years old got his call up last month, and straight went in to the starting line… there, he didn’t disappoint and it has earned him another call up now. From the look of things, Onyango who has confined K’Ogalo’s experienced captain Philemon Otieno ( Mbish) to the bench has what it takes for a modern full back playing in that position. I compare him to Kyle Walker of Manchester City or Trent Alexander Arnold of Liverpool in his style of play. Rooney covers the full length of his wing during the match while defending, and while attacking. He’s got gas, runs well forward and defends well both in the air and on the ground. That position is now his to loose and no one expects him to drop the guard either. He has also proven that he can swing in good crosses and score goals like he did in the mid – week against Shabana.
As Harambee Stars go in to qualifiers, I expect the 2 players ( Omalla and Onyango) to give proper account of themselves in training and in the field of play so that others who have previously been called to the national team like Austin Odhiambo, Alpha Onyango and Boniface Omondi ( Bajaj) can also re – join them in the subsequent call ups.