His ferocious left footed shots have been sending shivers down the spines of premier league custodians and defenders mounting human walls since making his top-flight bow with Kakamega Homeboyz six years ago.David Okoth is ridiculously apt in hitting dead balls with devastating power and precision, a quality that has treated fans to spectacular goals from range and set-pieces over the years.In a survey conducted by Mozzart Sport, ten out of thirteen custodians who ply their trades in the top-flight as starters with their respective clubs unanimously picked the attacking midfielder as the player with the most powerful shot in the league currently.David Odhiambo Okoth scored some goal against Sofapaka on Sunday at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega. He’s arguably the league’s best player this season.#FKFPL pic.twitter.com/PT4h4FY9pS— Ole Teya (@Kevin_teya) April 18, 2022 Other players who featured prominently in the survey are Kenya Police duo of Elvis Rupia and Duncan Otieno, Ulinzi Stars midfielder Daniel Waweru and Vihiga Bullets attacking midfielder Jessy Kajuba among others.Whenever he runs his eyes through his goals principally taken from freekicks, the 29-year Interestingly concedes that he is not brave enough to parade his body in a wall or attempt to block a shot unleashed by a player of his ilk.Behind the venomous shots from Okoth who has hit double digits in as far as goal contributions is concerned in three successive seasons is the pulsating hard work and sacrifices he puts in on a daily basis in an effort to keep his limbs in shape and strong for duty on match days. He scored six goals and registered seven assists in the aborted 2019-2020 season before netting six times and creating eleven goals.Appreciation Post: David Okoth Odhiambo10 goals, 7 assists. #AbanaBeingo #MozzartBet#wearehomeboyz pic.twitter.com/6JqUr5orVP— Kakamega Homeboyz FC (@FcHomeboyz) April 20, 2022 In an era where players rarely break sweat in covering the extra mile, Okoth embraces the exact opposite as gym work and swimming eats a large chunk of his free time, exercises he observes that have been helpful in strengthening the feet that produced eleven goals and nine assists in the concluded season.”My strongest attribute is hitting the ball with power and dribbling. I realized my strengths when I was young, and all through, I have been working to improve on it daily. I am always the first one to arrive at the gym and the last to leave so are the swimming pool sessions. The work in the gym injects power in my legs and the results are always there to be seen on match days, ” he explains as we settle in for the interview.Stories of footballers defying the wishes of their parents and guardians in order to quench their thirst for the game at the tender age have been told from time immemorial but Okoth holds a different version.Upon realizing the God-given talent their son possessed and exhibited as soon he broke into the Nyadhi Primary School’s team, David’s parents; Jenipher Ouma and the late John Okoth afforded him the requisite support and leeway to fully exhaust his potential owing to their love of the game.However, the importance of striking the right balance between football and academics was not lost on them for both had the potential of swinging open the door of success to their son.David Okoth scored Kakamega Homeboyz’s opening goal against Posta Rangers on his birthday.The celebration was a good one.📸 @Fabian_Odhiambo pic.twitter.com/32wxyA369i— Ole Teya (@Kevin_teya) March 5, 2022 The father of one considers himself lucky to have been brought up in a family that had raw passion for the game as his dad had played although at the amateur level in the days of his youth.Okoth, a cousin to former Nzoia Sugar midfielder Edgar Nzano defied odds to walk into the star-studded Nyadhi Primary School team and would skipper the team to the then coveted provincial level in 2006.He might have procured himself praises from the administration of the school and the locals who would turn up to catch the pupils display their talents during inter-school games but little did he know; his individual brilliance would cater for his secondary school education.”My parents took no issue with me flirting with the game although they were also strict on matters of education. I would spare time and practice with my peers in our hood when I was young, and I carried the culture of playing the game in school during the free time. I represented the school team in the games after breaking into the unit that had equally talented players, ” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_6471752##Soon after clearing his primary school education in 2008, Okoth’s family had to contend with receiving visitors on a regular basis as principals from various schools made inroads to the homestead seeking to hand the rookie sponsorship in exchange for his football talent that would earn the institution bragging rights in the normally competitive school games.From the scores of institutions that had shown interest, it is the little known St.Patrick’s Secondary School, Segere, Siaya that won his signature and would offer him not only the opportunity to study but also to skipper the institution’s team despite being a form one student.Seldom do form one students’ get the opportunity to be part of the football teams that are always dominated by their seniors but Okoth’s left foot was too good to be ignored and would seamlessly walk into the team.The leadership skills depicted while skippering the football team procured him elevation to the coveted rank of overall school captain, a position that first timers rarely get.From child labour to football stardom – This is Moses Mudavadi’s storyThe platform and privileges offered by the modest school were however not enough to stop the famed Mukumu Boys High from luring him to join the institution two years later.He however didn’t last as long as wished at Mukumu as Bujumba Boys High School came up with a better package and would once again find himself on the move, again on scholarship basis.The scramble for his services did not end there as Nyanza Region’s football giants Ambira Boys wrestled him from Bujumba and would hold on to him up to a time when he sat for the final examination in 2013.“My parents did not spend a dime in secondary school tuition fees as all the institutions that I schooled in offered me scholarships. Considering my modest background, the offers were just too good to ignore. I got the chance to study in the best schools and at the same time, I got the exposure through the games that had a huge following by then,” he narrated.The transition from school games to the paid-up ranks has seen a good number of players who displayed flashes of brilliance fail to scale to the next ladder especially when handled by careless individuals who masquerade as trained coaches.Okoth however fell in the right hands as he joined Bondo United in 2014, an outfit that was plying its trade in the Division One league by then.The Manchester United diehard ferried the culture of tormenting his markers for fun and scoring worldies to the third tier and would scoop the competition’s top scorer’s award in his maiden season.Brace hero.David Okoth Odhiambo #MozzartBet#wearehomeboyz#AbanaBeingo pic.twitter.com/OTLFw1kdUa— Kakamega Homeboyz FC (@FcHomeboyz) April 3, 2022 Okoth who heavily draws inspiration from his idol Sadio Mane recalls being introduced to veteran head coach Edward Manoah who had gotten wind of the winger’s golden left foot late in 2014, a meeting that opened the door to joining Kakamega Homeboyz.Manoah who had attended a league match between Rush United that later rebranded to Vihiga United and Bondo United and would recommend Okoth to try his luck at Homeboyz who were in search of new players for the 2015-2016 season.He recalls being taken through the paces at Homeboyz by coach Hesbon Nyabinge who recruited him after just a few training sessions.“After school, I joined my boyhood club Bondo United and despite my limited experience, I punched above my weight in Division One football. One season in the third tier was enough for me to prove myself. The ‘Golden Boot’ won at the end of the season saw a host of clubs reach out but when coach Manoah recommended me to try out at Homeboyz who were in the Super League, I took up the challenge,” he recalls.’No. 9′ David Okoth’s one season at Nzoia Sugar FC. 2018.Current Station: Kakamega Homeboyz. #footke pic.twitter.com/U3wxQUycis— Footballers Of Our Time (@TransferMarktEA) February 15, 2022 Okoth and Homeboyz stationed at the second tier for a season only for lady luck to visit them the following year as the club got promoted to the top tier alongside Posta Rangers.He remained in the books of Abana Abeingo for close to three seasons as he would answer the call to join Nzoia Sugar in 2018 following the expiry of his contract.What was supposed to be a smooth sailing at Nzoia turned out to be a rough one as the financial taps began to dry, and thus a mass exodus was witnessed at the club in the subsequent season.David Okoth wins Homeboyz April Player of the MonthAmong the players who ditched Nzoia was Okoth who returned to Homeboyz after the club’s chairperson Cleophas Shimanyula got wind of the dire situation at the Bungoma based club.”Back in 2018, coach Mwalala acquired my signature albeit as a free agent. Nzoia made an irresistible offer and consequently, I joined the outfit. However, I did not last for more than a season as the club wasn’t doing well financially. I returned to Homeboyz in 2019,” he said.Harambee Stars call upOkoth tasted the feeling of a national team call up in 2019 when the then Harambee Stars head coach Sébastian Migne summoned him for the calendar’s events that included the Africa Cup of Nations finals and the Chan qualifiers.He was however filtered out when the final squad for the Chan qualifiers was announced. Okoth, who was part of the national U23 team that finished fourth in the 2021 CECAFA finals in Ethiopia still believes he has something to offer in the senior team going forward.”I got my first Harambee Stars call up in 2019. It was a dream come true when my name was drafted in the provisional squad. Even though I didn’t make to the final team, I reckon that the door will open in future,” he remarked.Okoth, the April player of the month at the club level in the meanwhile, is putting his act together and setting up a solid base for his life off the pitch where he intends to venture into business.BioName-David Odhiambo OkothNickname-KaleoDate of Birth-02/03/1993EducationNyadhi primary school-2008St.Patricks Segere Secondary-2009Mukumu Boys High School- 2011Bujumba Boys High School- 2012Ambira Boys High School -2013Previous ClubsBondo United 2014-2015Kakamega Homeboyz 2015-2017Nzoia Sugar 2017-2018Kakamega Homeboyz- 2019 to dateFavourite Meal-Ugali FishFavourite club in the EPL- Manchester UnitedRole Model-Sadio Mane
