Otieno celebrates player award after Stars let down

Otieno celebrates player award after Stars let down

Posta Rangers FC hit man and Harambee Stars trialist, Timothy Otieno, has got more reason to aim for the 2016 Golden Boot after being crowned the February and 2016 season’s first SportPesa/SJAK Footballer of The Month Award winner.

His disappointment of not making the final Stars squad for the back-to-back 2017 AFCON qualifiers against Guinea Bissau was washed away by becoming the first winner of Ksh100,000 (USD986.73) prize after organisers doubled the award from Ksh50,000 (USD493.36).

In addition to the cash, the 22 year-old striker also carted away a 42-inch smart television from South Korean electronics giants LG Electronics with the finalists he beat to the accolade receiving Ksh50,000 in the revamped prize structure.

The on-loan forward from champions Gor Mahia, tallied 26 points in the vote conducting by the SJAK panel to narrowly beat AFC Leopard’s Andrew Tololwa and Muhoroni Youth’s Wycliffe Ochomo who garnered 25 each while Mathare United’s on song striker, Obadiah Ndege was fourth on 22.

The forward netted thrice in three games as the promoted mailmen started life back at the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) in dream fashion when they finished February fifth on four points.

Ndege and Ochomo also scored thrice with Tololwa’s getting two in the month under consideration.

“This award is testimony to my improvement and I want to keep working hard to be the absolute best. It is an honour to be recognised for my efforts on the pitch. It will spur me further and encourage other players within the team to strive for excellence,” Otieno, the former JMJ Academy and FC Talanta player said when receiving the award on Tuesday.

“I get enough play time at Posta so I know I have to justify my time on the pitch. My confidence has strengthened since joining this club and I hope to do better in the coming matches,” he added.

The youthful soft-spoken striker however, says he has more future in Gor Mahia than in his current club, where he has shone to this recognition. He recognized Rangers vibrant midfield saying it provides well for his finishing, revealing he wants to net at least 10 goals by the end of the leagues’ first half.

“I feel I am good and fit enough for a first team place at Gor if I went back there today, asserted a confident 2010 Copa Coca-Cola.

“Step by step we want the football standards to improve in Kenya from the players to stadia so that we can reach our potential,” SportPesa chief marketer, Kester Muhanji, said at the fete.

Otieno was overlooked in the Stars squad for Guinea Bissau in favour of the much-maligned second tier Kariobangi Sharks forward, Ovella Ochieng with Kenya losing both games 1-0 to crash out of the 2017 AFCON finals in Gabon.

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