‘McKinstry has sharpened me’ – Gor Mahia’s Omala warns Golden Boot rivals
By Joel Sang, August 18, 2023Gor Mahia striker Benson Omala has said his goalscoring skills have improved after being sharpened by head coach Johnathan McKinstry.
Just like last season, Omala is expected to be K’Ogalo’s main source of goals, and the former Kisumu Day star is hopeful that he will be in a better position to get more of them given that he has improved under his coach.
Omala sharpened
“He has sharpened me in one or two areas because, in the previous season, I was dropping too much to come and pick the ball and go up.
“He told me that as a striker, you have to stay there, make runs into the box, and score. You do not have to go back to the middle to pick up the ball.
“That is what happened, and it made my goals go up,” Omala said, as quoted by a local publication.
Top of his wishlist is the Golden Boot Award, which he slightly missed last season. Omala ended up as the runners-up in the race that was won by Kenya Police‘s Elvis Rupia, who scored 27 goals, beating the Gor Mahia talisman by a goal.
“It will be hard for everyone, but as a striker, my main aim is to become a top scorer, which is what I want to do this season.
“Last season, I missed it by a whisker of a goal. This season, I will work on the things I did wrong and maintain the things I did right,” Omala promised.
Aborted CAF dream
Although they grabbed the CAF Champions League ticket, Gor Mahia were unable to play in the continental due to their failure to meet the club licensing regulations. Their Champions League dream was jeopardized by cases involving their former players who had unsettled dues with the club.
“We worked for it. We wanted to play in the CAF because we missed playing at that top level. We gave it our best shot and won the league, but unfortunately, we will not be able to play in the competitions.
“It is not down to us as players but down to the office,” Omala concluded.
When the 2023/24 season begins, Gor Mahia will start their campaign with a game against Sofapaka.
More Articles
