Austin Odhiambo: From AFC Leopards Youth hothead to Gor Mahia’s MVP

When AFC Leopards announced their mid-season transfers during the 2019 Kenyan Premier League, one name stood out - Paul Were, then a Kenyan international whose treachery, speed and directness with the ball made him a favorite for fans and opponents alike.

Predictably, the club’s fans were over the moon, and so was the Kenyan media who assigned their most prominent football scribes to give the story the treat it deserved.

After all, Were's return to his boyhood club while at the pinnacle of his career was a spectacle rarely witnessed in the domestic scene.

Also coming through the doors was Boniface Mukhekhe, a winger whose talents, though overshadowed by Were's star power, had earned him a respectable reputation at the now-defunct Mount Kenya FC.

Play here and stand a chance of winning the over 354 Million SportPesa Mega Jackpot

If Were’s announcement was a grand entrance, Mukhekhe’s was no more than a nod of approval, and he must have made no complaints.

Also on this list was a 20-year-old with shaggy hair and a face, poise and gait that hinted at a lad having an attitude problem.

His name appeared on the list alongside the aforementioned duo as an afterthought.

"Meanwhile, the club has also promoted Austin Odhiambo from the youth team," read a statement.

Leopards were placed 10th on the log and struggling for goals and the trio, especially Were, were meant to help solve the problem. It wasn’t to be as they ‘improved backwards’, finishing 11th with only 33 goals to their name.

Key signing Were was gone before the new season started, moving on for his umpteenth adventure abroad – he’s now back in the country wearing the yellow colors of Mathare United.

ALSO READ: Auditor General reveals how construction of four stadia was inflated

Mukhekhe stayed at Leopards until he was deemed surplus to requirements mid-last year and released for adventures unknown.

Which leaves us with that 20-year-old troublemaker.

Odhiambo’s talents while at Leopards Youth were obvious. Comfortable on both feet, artistic in his dribbling, imaginative on his set pieces and prodigious in execution, it seemed obvious that his next step was nigh.

Also obvious was his arrogance. He always had that air of ‘I am better than y’all’ in him. The good thing is, he continuously backed it up.

Better thing is the coach who scouted him in 2016, Boniface Ambani, had a footballing CV that not many former Kenyan football greats can boast of. And you also can’t beat him, Ambani, in the battle of the arrogant.

The technical bench at Leopards senior team had heard plenty about Odhiambo, but they likely didn't anticipate just how effortlessly he would adapt to the senior team.

ALSO READ: Muguna reveals reason behind controversial celebration against Gor Mahia

Long story short, by the end of his first full season, whispers began circulating that the talented youngster might be departing. His muted destination made for an uncomfortable reading for those loyal to the blue and white stripes of Leopards - Gor Mahia.

The sworn enemy, the eternal nemesis, a team whose emblematic green and white colors seemed to mock the very essence of the Leopards' identity.

Preposterous! Unthinkable, in fact.

Club Chairman Dan Shikanda even went as far as to assert that the lad from Baba Dogo was bound by a contract prohibiting him from joining any local club, especially Gor Mahia.

They proceeded to slap a hefty Ksh. 10 million price tag on Odhiambo’s head, shoulders, knees, and toes, among the highest ever for a Kenyan Premier League player.

Gor Mahia must have channeled the spirits of Mahatma Gandhi in this negotiation. Gandhi, revered as the Father of the Nation in post-colonial India, offered many quotes, but my favorite happens to be: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

Leopards ignored K’Ogalo’s inquest, laughed at them, tried fighting it. And then, Gor Mahia won, reportedly getting their man on a free transfer.

Chest pains!

ALSO READ: Kennedy Owino: From forgettable Gor Mahia stint to heroic switch to AFC Leopards

That was in October 2021, Odhiambo terminating his contract with a year to go as he made a controversial move that he hoped would pay dividends.

He was right.

A league title and Cup are under his belt already. And he’s the man at the apex of leading Gor Mahia to another league title, a record-extending 21st crown that increasingly looks secured in the bag.

And he is having the season of his life with seven goals to his name, while also contributing the most assists to the league’s leading goalscorer Benson Omalla.

It is difficult to see the 23-year-old remaining at the club next season. Rumors were already swirling at the end of last season that he was considering leaving due to a dispute over his sign-on fees when he transferred from Leopards.

ALSO READ: Rags-to-riches Ngannou targets Joshua heavyweight shock

That issue appeared to have been resolved – or deferred as it often happens. However, it's his talent that could see the Kenyan international depart for greener pastures at the end of this season, unless Gor Mahia can demonstrate their financial commitment and prove themselves beyond the preliminary stages of continental football.

Whatever the outcome, this once hot-headed cub turned lion of Gor Mahia has proven that talent, when infused with a dash of arrogance channeled in the right direction, can indeed yield remarkable results.

Talking of arrogance, I will soon tell you the story of Musa Masika, another huge talent who recently moved to Gor Mahia, but whose attitude has stagnated his promising career.

ALSO READ: SportPesa launch revolutionary Tujiamini Initiative to nurture talent