After missing out on a spot in the Harambee Stars, Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla is set to leave the country and join South African giants, Orlando Pirates.
Despite his excellent performances this season, Omalla was left off the roster for Kenya’s friendly match against highly-ranked Iran slated for Tuesday next week.
Omalla has been a key player for Gor Mahia this season, scoring an impressive 19 goals in 20 matches. His absence from the national team has been a significant disappointment for the young striker, who had been hoping to represent his country.
With interest from clubs in South Africa and Europe, Omalla is expected to leave Gor Mahia in the coming weeks, according to reliable sources.
His departure will be a significant loss for the team, as he has been one of their top performers this season.
The 21-year-old’s journey to success has not been smooth. After joining Gor Mahia in September 2020 from Western Stima, Omalla struggled to find game time in his first season due to the presence of top players like Jules Ulimwengu
In a bid to get more playing time, Omalla moved to Swedish fourth-tier side FC Linkoping City on a short loan spell, but the loan move was cut short after just two months, forcing him to return to Kenya.
Despite this setback, Omalla has been able to cement his place at Gor Mahia in the 2021/2022 season, having played in 74 percent of the team’s matches across all competitions and scoring seven times.
In a past interview, Gor Mahia Head coach Johnathan McKinstry remained optimistic about the future of striker Benson Omala and defender Joshua Onyango. He expressed his admiration for the two players and stated that they have the potential to become some of the best players in the country with proper guidance and development.
McKinstry praised Omala’s work ethic, humility, and natural finishing ability. He believes that the young striker has only achieved 60% of his talent and can reach his full potential with the right support and environment
“Omala works hard in training, is humble and has no ego. He is talented and a natural finisher. However, he has just achieved 60 percent of his talent and can reach his full potential as long as he is supported and surrounded with the right people,” said McKinstry.
