Newly crowned best club football players of Kenya, Gor Mahia midfielder Austin ‘Austo’ Odhiambo and Kenya Police Bullets attacker Lydia Akoth, believe their respective teams can impress on continental football that kicks off next month.
Seasoned campaigners Gor Mahia will once again compete in the CAF Champions League, while Police Bullets will be making their maiden appearance in the women's version of Africa's top club competition.
Odhiambo was named the 2023/2024 Football Kenya Federation Premier League Most Valuable Player, while Akoth was named the Football Kenya Federation Women's Premier League MVP during a gala held on Friday night at Safari Park hotel, Nairobi.
Odhiambo and Akoth had an electrifying 2023/24 season leading their teams to the men's and women's titles.
“I’m happy to have bagged this award and hope I will replicate the performance of last season in the coming season. I dedicate this award to my mother who had a nasty accident at Gilgil on Thursday and can’t walk,” said Odhiambo.
“There have been reports of me leaving Gor but for now I’m training with the team and focused on the Champions League. It was a good season and if I will not be with Gor, I will have to join a team that is playing in the Champions League. I want to excel on the continental scene,” added Odhiambo who beat his team mate Rooney Onyango and Kariobangi Sharks' Johnmark Makwata to the award.
Akoth on the other hand, was elated she will be making her maiden appearance in the Cecafa regional competition and possibly CAF Women’s Champions League after leading Kenya Police Bullets to their first FKF-WPL title, and in their maiden season in the topflight competition.
“It was a competitive season but we won. I want to thank our coaches and technical bench for this award which motivates me to prepare well and perform well in the CAF Cecafa Women’s Champions League,” said Akoth.
Gor will face Al Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan in the two-leg preliminary round between August 16 and August 23 while Police will fight it out with other champions in the region in the Champions League Cecafa qualifiers from August 17 to September 2 in Addis Ababa.
Gor Mahia dominated the awards with former coach Johnathan McKinstry winning the Men’s Coach of the Year Award, Benson Omala the Golden Boot and custodian Kevin Omondi the Golden Glove.
Tusker won the Social Media Manager of the Year Award, while Shabana bagged the Fair Play Award.
In the women category, Kenya Police Bullets Coach Beldine Odemba was named the Coach of the year, while Vihiga Queens Tumaini Waliaula went home with the Golden Boot Award after netting 16 goals.
“We still have a huge task of breaking barriers by qualifying for the CAF Women Champions League. I want to state that we will give the regional qualifiers all the best because I believe we have a good team,” said Odemba.
The Golden Glove was a tie between Judith Osimbo (Ulinzi Starlets) and Sophie Akinyi (Vihiga Queens). The Social Media Manager of the Year Award went to Vihiga Queens.
Dickens Mimisa went home with the FKF-PL Referee of the Year Award while Josephine Wanjiku won the same award for officiating in the FKF-WPL.
Junior Starlets coach Mildred Cheche received the Presidential Award after she lead them to a historic qualification to the Women World Cup set to kick off in September in the Dominican Republic.
Curiously, no cash awards were announced and winners were not even aware of any amount they were entitled to, if any.
Before Friday’s ceremony, the league awards were held in 2021. That year, MVP Eric Kapaito received a Sh500,000 reward while first and second runners up Lawrence Juma and Eugene Asike got Sh200,000 and Sh100,000 respectively.
Then the winners in other categories got Sh300,000, runners up Sh200,000 and third place finishers Sh100,000.
