Kakamega High School captain Alpha Onyango receives his Most Valuable Player award at the Kenya Secondary School Games from Education Principle Secretary Bellio Kipsang in Eldoret on July 28, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – Kakamega High School midfielder Alpha Onyango is confident he has the ability to command a regular starting place at Gor Mahia when he ultimately returns to the club after completing school next year.
Onyango has been contracted at Gor and captains their Under-20 team and was aptly named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the just concluded Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term 2B games, playing a starring role as Kakamega won the boys’ football title.
“That is my ultimate goal because when I go back there I want to be in the starting team. I have been training with them every school holiday and I have grown as a player. I know the system, how things work and it is my dream to command a regular starting spot,” Onyango told Capital Sport.
“Gor is a great team and training with them always made me an improved player. I am excited at the opportunity of joining them regularly after school,” he added.
Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi feeds instructions to skipper Alpha Onyango during their African Under-20 Cup of Nations qualifer against Rwanda at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on April 1, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
So much is Onyango a core part of Gor’s future that he has not been allowed to play for the Green Commandos in the National Super League as head coach Dylan Kerr considers him a core part of the club’s future.
“He is a good lad, works really hard and it is a shame we can’t have him now,” Kerr said of the industrious defensive midfielder.
Nonetheless, the Form Three Student at Kakamega High says he wants to ask the Gor management whether they can loan him out to the Green Commandos who play in the National Super League for one season.
“The talks have been ongoing and the teachers have been talking to Gor to make that possible. Personally, I think it would be very important for me to play in the NSL to get some experience. This will be vital for me to gel in when I return to Gor after next year,” Onyango further added.
Meanwhile even as he looks forward to his footballing future, Onyango is elated at helping Kakamega to their 14th School Games title and the cherry on top of the cake; him being named the championship’s MVP.
“It was a very tough tournament. School Games are usually very tough because every team comes in looking to win the title and everyone gives their all. Winning this title is such a prestigious thing for us as a team,” the midfielder noted.
Kakamega High School midfielder Alpha Onyango vies for the ball with Olbolosat’s Silah Wangila during their National Secondary School Games final at the Hill School in Eldoret on July 28, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
Their next focus now is on the East Africa School Games to be held in Musanze, Rwanda in August where they hope to do better than last year when they finished third.
Head coach Brendan Mwinamo is confident they will go in there an improved side and remains optimistic they will give a good account of themselves.
“We have played in the NSL which is a very tough league and I think that gives us some very good edge over the others. However, we know it will be tough because we will be playing against older teams from Uganda and Tanzania now that they have form five and six. But, we will be ready,” Mwinamo said.
He added; “This year we have shown a very improved game and everyone saw that from how we played. We have some areas we want to improve on especially in attacking and come the Rwanda trip, we want to bring the title home,” Mwinamo noted.
