Gor Mahia midfielder Austin Odhiambo was expected to ditch the club for greener pastures following the stellar performance he put in the 2023-2024 season, where he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Odhiambo was crowned the best player thanks to the 12 goals and 13 assists registered in the last season, generating interest from European clubs. Belgian giants KAA Gent were at the forefront in the hunt for Odhiambo’s signature, with unnamed Swedish clubs also tabling bids.
Rwandese and CECAFA heavyweights APR reportedly attempted to sign the creative midfielder, but their efforts did not bear fruit as Gor stood their ground. Odhiambo missed all of Gor’s pre-season activities including; the CECAFA Kagame Cup and the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, against El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan, sending a clear message that he wanted out.
His bid, however, flopped and was later reintegrated into the team, becoming the first player to fail to make a move after laying hands on the MVP title, in recent seasons.
IT WASN’T THE RIGHT TIME
Odhiambo, has for a long time opted to remain tight-lipped on why he did not sign for Gent or any other club that was interested in his signature in the past transfer window. Instead, he has always insisted that he is happy at Gor and the failed transfer should be treated as nothing, but a bygone.
However, in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom, the former AFC Leopards midfielder revealed the reasons behind his stalled career move. Odhiambo, without delving into much detail, admitted that there was strong interest from African and European teams but nothing worked in line with his plans.
“It wasn’t the right time for me to leave Gor Mahia. There was a lot of interest from the region, the rest of the continent and Europe but things did not work out as planned. Maybe it wasn’t the right time but eventually, I am sure, I will get better deals,” he opened up.
Despite the heartbreak, Odhiambo remains optimistic of securing better opportunities, at the professional level, in the future. He hopes to bid the Green Army farewell respectably rather than forcing his way out. “When the right time comes, I will certainly leave. I would like it to be seamless and short of drama. I hope I will have enjoyed my time at the club enough and won everything,” he said.
ODHIAMBO EYEING SECOND MVP GONG
There were fears that the failed transfer would unsettle the Harambee Stars midfielder but he has demonstrated that class is permanent following his impressive start in the season.
The 23-year-old has two goals in as many league matches and has proven himself an asset for the national team given his involvement in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Odhiambo told SportsBoom that he is not only aiming at his third league title at Gor, but retaining the MVP title and adding any other individual accolade that will be on offer.
“I always challenge myself to do better than last season. My target is to help the team retain the league title, win the Mozzart Bet Cup, surpass the goal involvements I had last season and defend my MVP title,” he revealed.
CAN GOR MAHIA WIN LEAGUE UNBEATEN?
Asked whether Gor had the potential to go all the way to round 34 without tasting defeat, Odhiambo said as much as it was possible, it was ‘too early’ to compare the current season to that of 2015.
Last season, K’Ogalo attempted to win the league unbeaten but lost the plot in the second leg where they lost three matches only. The former national U20 team midfielder said the team was interested in taking a game at a time and bagging maximum points from each contest.
“It is possible to win the league unbeaten, but I feel it is too early to think of such. We have played just two matches and there are more than 30 to go. Our focus is to win the next match. We can only talk about being invincible after ten rounds,” he added.
