McKinstry has compared the the 22-year-old to Chelsea great Didier Drogba, revealing that he would have included him in his squad back when he was the Uganda coach.
Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has opened up on the reason why Benson Omala does not get regularly called up for Harambee Stars despite taking his goal-scoring to another level under his stewardship.
Omala leads the top-tier goalscoring charts with seven goals, with his headed volley against Tusker underpinning his ability to finish from all types of angles.
15:32 - 23.10.2023
FKFPL A look into Benson Omala's offside goals against AFC Leopards and Tusker
Omala’s last two goals against AFC Leopards and Tusker respectively were allowed to stand despite being netted from offside positions.
However, he has been overlooked in the last two Harambee Stars squads after being given just 45 minutes on his debut against Mauritius, which has left fans, pundits and the media alike puzzled as to why he has not been given enough time.
Speaking to the media after the match against Tusker, McKinstry revealed why Benson Omala is perfect for his style of play, comparing the former Western Stima striker to Chelsea great Didier Drogba.
18:30 - 22.10.2023
FOOTBALL Omala's strike secures victory for Gor Mahia over Tusker to leave Matano facing the sack
Gor Mahia claimed a narrow 1-0 win against Tusker to pile more misery on beleaguered Robert Matano
“I think that Benson is the striker that is perfect for my team. If you look through all my teams, whether it is in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, we have always had a Didier Drogba-type No.9,” he said.
“Maybe I am the perfect coach to come and work with Benson. Ninety percent it is him, only 10 percent is me. But he fits into the way I want to play football perfectly.
20:00 - 12.10.2023
FOOTBALL ‘He is not Messi or Bergkamp’ - McKinstry's honest assessment of Gor Mahia hotshot Benson Omala’
Omala tops the goalscoring charts on six goals in the league so far this season, with his brace against AFC Leopards the pick of the bunch so far.
“Does he fit into the way other coaches want to play football? That is for them to decide. I know that had he been a Ugandan when I was the Uganda coach, he probably been in my squad but every coach gets to pick the players they want to pick. I am pleased that he plays for me and not another KPL team.”
Not known to be involved a lot in the build-up, Omala’s great asset is his positioning and execution. He stays in the right place at the right time to benefit from balls in his path or in the box to finish them off.
08:00 - 23.10.2023
FKFPL Fan view: 'AFC Leopards fans let's gather here and cry' - mixed reactions after Ingwe lose to Bandari
AFC Leopards' fans express frustration on social media after a 1-0 loss to Bandari, leaving them in 17th place on the league table.
He is also blessed with great pace and his intelligence and power makes him a handful for opposing defenders and goalkeepers.
All these were on show during the Mashemeji Derby a week ago when he scored both goals as Gor beat AFC Leopards 2-0.
15:30 - 16.07.2023
FKFPL: How McKinstry turned Gor Mahia hotshot Benson Omala into a goal scoring machine
Under McKinstry, the Gor Mahia forward has gone from an ordinary goal-getter to a record chasing machine. Here is why.
That brace took his tally to six from as many games so far and few will bet against him finishing the season at the top of the goal scorer’s charts in 2023-24.
This will surely make it difficult for Firat to overlook him while his club will struggle to hold onto him given the expected interest yet again from teams across the continent, if not the world.