Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has opened up on the reason why Benson Omala does not get regularly called up for Harambee Stars despite taking his goal-scoring to another level under his stewardship.
Omala leads the top-tier goalscoring charts with seven goals, with his headed volley against Tusker underpinning his ability to finish from all types of angles.
However, he has been overlooked in the last two Harambee Stars squads after being given just 45 minutes on his debut against Mauritius, which has left fans, pundits and the media alike puzzled as to why he has not been given enough time.
Speaking to the media after the match against Tusker, McKinstry revealed why Benson Omala is perfect for his style of play, comparing the former Western Stima striker to Chelsea great Didier Drogba.
“I think that Benson is the striker that is perfect for my team. If you look through all my teams, whether it is in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, we have always had a Didier Drogba-type No.9,”
“Maybe I am the perfect coach to come and work with Benson. Ninety percent it is him, only 10 percent is me. But he fits into the way I want to play football perfectly.
“Does he fit into the way other coaches want to play football? That is for them to decide. I know that had he been a Ugandan when I was the Uganda coach, he probably been in my squad but every coach gets to pick the players they want to pick. I am pleased that he plays for me and not another KPL team.”
Not known to be involved a lot in the build-up, Omala’s great asset is his positioning and execution. He stays in the right place at the right time to benefit from balls in his path or in the box to finish them off.
He is also blessed with great pace and his intelligence and power make him a handful for opposing defenders and goalkeepers.
All these were on show during the Mashemeji Derby a week ago when he scored both goals as Gor beat AFC Leopards 2-0.
That brace took his tally to six from as many games so far and few will bet against him finishing the season at the top of the goal scorer’s charts in 2023-24.
This will surely make it difficult for Firat to overlook him while his club will struggle to hold onto him given the expected interest yet again from teams across the continent, if not the world.