Benson Omala: I’m not bitter over latest Stars snub
Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla (bottom) celebrates after scoring during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match against AFC Leopards at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on October 7, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Kenyan legends Dawo, Onsika and Odhiambo fault Harambee Stars coach for overlooking Gor forward for friendly
- My time will come, league’s top scorer says after being overlooked again by coach
In-form Gor Mahia striker Benson Omala has said he is not bitter after being overlooked for the second time in two months for national football team duty.
Omala was a major omission last week when Harambee Stars coach, Turk Engin Firat, named the squad that will play Russia in an international friendly match on Monday in Antalya, Turkey. The team is already in Turkey.
However, Omala’s father Peter Oluoch and Kenyan football legends Peter Dawo, Elijah Onsika and Austin Odhiambo have faulted Firat’s selection criteria, saying the 21-year-old footballer has proven to be a top striker.
Omala has started the 2023/24 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) campaign strongly, scoring six goals in six matches, including a brace in “Mashemeji” derby, between Gor and AFC Leopards on Saturday, which Gor won 2-0 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi.
Omala tops the scorers’ chart, followed by FC Talanta’s striker Erick Ombija on four goals.
“I have always wanted to represent my country and I believe my time will come,” Omala told Nation Sport. “For now, I’m focusing on my career, I want to be better every day.”
Omala’s father is dejected over his son’s omission from the national team.
“I’m not happy at all. How can you convince me that he is not ripe for the national team, yet he is scoring goals? posed Oluoch, a former footballer, who works as a prosecutor with the County Government of Kisumu.
“My son has assured me that he has never done anything wrong to the coach. Why snub him when he is in his best form?”
In the 2022/23 FKF-PL, Omala netted 26 goals, one behind top scorer Elvis Rupia, who was then playing for Kenya Police. Rupia now plays for Singida Fountain Gate in the Tanzanian Premier League.
In defending his decision to overlook Omala for Harambee Stars friendly match against Iran on March 28, Firat said that being a top scorer doesn’t necessarily earn one a place in the national team. Kenya went on to lose the match 2-1. He was also overlooked in friendly matches against Qatar and South Sudan in September. Kenya beat Qatar 2-1 in Doha but lost 1-0 to South Sudan at Kasarani.
“Look around the world, is it a guarantee that if you are a top scorer you will play in the national team?” Firat said then. “Benson is unlucky because we have Juma (Masoud), Michael Olunga so it is not easy for them to come in. This is why I said ‘do not push these boys, let them develop.”
Juma, Olunga, Alfred Scrieven (Hodd in Norway) and Moses Shumah (Kakamega Homeboyz) are the forwards, who travelled with the team to Turkey for the friendly match against Russia.
Onskia, a former striker who was part of Harambee Stars squad in the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations finals said: “How can a league’s top scorer not be in the national team? You want to tell me that a player who scored 26 goals last season and has scored six goals in six matches cannot even make it in the national team as a substitute? The coach should give him an opportunity.”
Oduor, a former Harambee Stars central defender who captained the national team from 1988 to 1990 said: “If you are a top scorer, it means that you can penetrate defense. The coach should just tune him to play the way he wants.”
Peter Dawo said: “What a coach looks for in a player is goals, so why is he leaving him out yet he is scoring. It is the responsibility of a coach to get the best out of a player.“
