NAIROBI, KENYA, Oct 25- Gor Mahia winger George’ Blackberry’ Odhiambo received a befitting birthday gift on Wednesday after being crowned the Kenyan Premier League player of the month for August, beating off stiff competition from compatriot Jacques Tuyisenge.
His humongous displays for K’Ogalo in that month saw Kenya’s most decorated club emasculate Nakumatt, Muhoroni Youth twice, Posta Rangers and came from behind to earn a crucial point against fierce rivals AFC Leopards.
Blackberry crucially scored in two matches and provided three assists in the rest of the games hence putting himself in contention for the month’s gong.
“I am very pleased to win this award because as a player, everything you do you work hard to get something. I am really happy to be awarded but the hard work continues. We have four games remaining in the league and now we work hard to finish strongly,” the winger said.
He received hearty congratulations from his coach Dylan Kerr who said he fully deserved the award.
“He has worked very hard and I think he deserves to be awarded. Also, I think the entire team has worked hard and if you asked me all my players deserve an award for the work they have put in,” the coach who joined Gor in July this year said.
In the final vote conducted by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya football committee, Odhiambo garnered 18 votes, edging out Tuyisenge by a single vote in a winner-takes-it-all affair while Kasumba of collected 13 votes.
The three players made it to the final shortlist from a wider nominee’s list that also had Sony Sugar’s Amos Asembeka, Yemi Mwana, Mathare United’s Chrispin Oduor and Godfrey Walusimbi.
Despite rocketing his name to the skyline’s of Kenyan football in 2010 when he was crowned footballer of the year, Odhiambo endured a downward spiral after moving to Danish club Randers at the turn of the 2011 season.
He struggled to get playing time and later after two seasons moved to Tanzanian outfit Azam where despite starting well ended up going down in form again.
He returned to the country where he briefly trained with City Stars as he attempted to resuscitate his career and before the season started in 2013 moved to Armenia where he played for top tier clubs FC Shirak and Ullises.
He moved back to the country in 2014 joining his former club Gor Mahia and from there, it was an uphill task of getting his form back on top.
This season has been his best yet, having contributed directly to 11 Gor Mahia goals, scoring five and assisting six.
“People had talked so much and for me that was motivation. To be honest it had been a difficult period but I knew what I wanted and I knew at the end of the day, I would be back to the top,” the winger whose year was capped with a return to the national team said.
With his Gor Mahia contract running out at the end of the season, he is yet to ascertain whether he will pen a new deal.
“I have offers from three teams but I have not yet made a decision. My agent will work on things and then at the end of the season I will make a decision but I cannot rule out anything,” the forward opined.
The gong, which is co-sponsored by betting firm Sportesa and South Korean manufactures LG Electronics, yields a 49 Inch LG television and Sh100,000 to feted players as well as Sh50,000 for the rest of the squad.
Blackberry became Kogalo’s second player to win it in 2017 following previous triumph by midfielder Ernest Wendo who in May.
Overall, he is the 5th recipient of the gong this year after Nzoia Sugar’s Brian Otieno (March), Stephen Waruru of Ulinzi Stars (April), Ernest Wendo of Gor Mahia (May) and Zoo FC’s Michael Madoya (June/July).
