Gor Mahia new signing from Kakamega Homeboyz in central defender Sylvester Owino is one of a kind in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League.

It may sound stranger than fiction but Owino never kicked a football in his High School days unlike most established players in the country’s top-tier league.

Instead, ‘Owish’, as he is fondly known as by his peers, was ever present at off-season tournaments in the dusty grounds of Kisumu where he gradually honed his skills to the admiration of lower league sides.

Ironically, Owino opted to concentrate on his studies at Kiumu Day Secondary School which has produced great players like Benson Omala, the leading goal scorer of the KPL, with whom he shall be playing together at K’ogalo for the next two years.

“I must say that I was a book worm at Kisumu Day and it never crossed my mind to venture into football at that point since my parents told me education comes first,’’ said Owino.

Owino joined Estate football after his Secondary School education in 2015 before he was lured by Riat Allstars in the County League.

It was while at Rita that Okore United, a provincial league side, discovered that he had all the typical traits of the center-back through his hard-tackling style of play, commitment and ball-winning abilities and went ahead to sign him.

“I played for Okore for half a season and then joined Division Two side Bandani for one season before tasting the National Super League by joining Vihiga Bullets in 2018.

The following year, Owino would feature for Bullets for only the first leg after the COVID-19 struck and stayed idle until 2020 when Kakamega Homeboyz came knocking on the door for his services.

“It was my former coach at Vihiga Bullets Edward Manoah who recommended me to Homeboyz founder Cleophas Shimanyula to be incorporated in the squad and I was given a red carpet welcome,” said the central defender.

At Homeboyz, the megastar defender brought finesse to that position and indeed the entire team which resulted into being invited for trials by Portuguese second division side CF Estrela Da Amadora but the deal fell through and he returned home.

While still playing for Homeboyz, Owino was summoned in the national under-23 squad for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Ethiopia where Kenya finished fourth overall.

After finding a new home in Gor, Owino has vowed to burn the midnight oil to ensure that he wins a title with the league’s multiple champions.

“Gor is a great club with a rich history. The good thing is that I feel at home since I knew most of the players even before landing here. I know the pressure which comes with playing for a team of Gor’s caliber but I always believe in myself in whatever I do. Mind you, this is Sylvester Owino and I believe I’m a hard worker to a fault,” he said.