NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12- Gor Mahia head coach Dylan Kerr believes that once he gets back to top fitness, Kevin ‘Ade’ Omondi will return to the national team, noting that he has immense potential to light up Kenyan football.
Omondi returned to Gor Mahia at the beginning of the season after three and a half years out following an impressive trial period that captured Kerr’s attention.
The forward scored the opening goal in Gor Mahia’s 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea side Leones Vegeteranios in a CAF Champions League tie last weekend.
“Once I get Kevin to peak fitness, I think he’s gonna be a player to light up Kenyan football and I hope the Harambee Stars coach sees this. We brought him back because of his potential and he has been fantastic in the two games he has played,” Kerr said of the forward.
Omondi who has always been a fan favourite for K’Ogalo’s green army earned a standing ovation when he was substituted in the match against vegetarianos and Kerr has promised more will be seen of the forward.
The British coach was also full of praise for new signing Ephraim Guikan who stepped off the bench to score the second goal with his first involvement of the match as well as defender Joash Onyango.
“Ephraim’s a new player in the team and definitely it is a bit difficult for him finding play time especially with two good strikers in the team. But he’s had a good attitude and overall a very good striker,”
“Joash has been terrific and has replaced Musa (Mohammed) very well. He knows it is very hard as a defender to play when the others are performing and he has been working very hard,” Kerr opined.
The 2-0 result against Vegetarianos on Saturday earned the reigning Kenyan champions an edge ahead of the return leg tie to be played in 10 days time in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
“The boys were brilliant; they did everything I wanted and even more. I thought the performance and attitude was fantastic straight from kick off. Credit to the Equatorial Guinea team because they came in with a plan but I am happy we can go to the second leg with the advantage,” the coach noted.
A win for Gor in the return leg will earn them a berth in the first round where they face the winner between Tunisian giants Esperance du Tunis and Mauritanian side ASAC Concorde. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg played in Nouakchott.
Before then, Kerr and his charges will switch their attention to their catch up Kenyan Premier League clash against Zoo Kericho on Thursday where the tactician is confident of bagging another three points.