Benson Omala has returned to Kenya just weeks after a move to Lebanese side Al-Safa, raising questions over the future of the former Gor Mahia striker.
Was Benson Omala played into a move to Lebanon?
That is the question among local football fans after the striker’s transfer to Lebanese side Al-Safa hit a snag and he has returned home as a result.
The striker was even spotted at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday as Gor Mahia thrashed South Sudanese side Al Merreikh 5-1 to advance to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
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Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat explains how Benson Omala has improved since public criticism
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat publicly pointed out areas Omala needed to improve and is happy that the striker took the message on board, helping him secure a move abroad.
This comes less than a month after Omala left Gor Mahia for Al-Safa with the Lebanese club confirming the move before he later played in a friendly match for them.
Pulse Sports understands Omala will not be returning to the war-torn nation after his move ran into headwinds, leaving him in limbo, despite featuring for the club in a friendly match and even scoring.
“He is back here because of a number of issues, one of them is the war in Lebanon which we are not comfortable with,” a source close to the player told Pulse Sports.
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Benson Omala wasted no time to introduce himself to his new fans as he opened his goal account for Lebanese outfit Al-Safa in his first match for the club.
“The other issue is that the people who took him there lied to him. They claimed he would be paid a signing-on fee with the money to hit his account after one day but that did not happen.
“He was also not offered a contract and he had not signed anything even when he played for them in the friendly match.”
While Gor Mahia released the player and wished him success in the Middle East, it is not clear how the striker ended up playing for Al-Safa, albeit in a friendly match, if the formalities of his deal were not completed.
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The striker is set to link up with the Harambee Stars squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and will be hoping that his future is sorted out soon.
One of Omala’s possible options could be a return to Gor Mahia, with the club reportedly offering him an opportunity to train with them, to maintain his fitness levels.
“We do not want him to play here. We feel he should look for another club out of the country and realise his dream of playing abroad,” added the source.
It is the second time in a year that Omala’s transfer abroad has hit a snag after a proposed six-month loan move to Algerian club JS Soura failed to materialise at the last minute as his handlers and Gor Mahia traded blame over late submission of his documents.
Omala scored 45 league goals in the last two seasons to help K’Ogalo to back-to-back FKF Premier League titles.
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