•Omondi's impressive trophy cabinet includes six KPL titles with Gor Mahia, having won in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024.
•Omondi said he has never felt undue pressure turning out for Gor Mahia which boasts one of the largest support bases in the country.
Image: TONY MBALLA
Few Kenyan footballers can claim to have won the Kenyan Premier League a tremendous six times.
However, such is not the case with Gor Mahia's explosive offensive midfielder Boniface Omondi, who has impressive credentials stemming from a stellar top-flight career spanning several years.
Omondi's impressive trophy cabinet includes six KPL titles with Gor Mahia, having won in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Born in Kericho on November 22, 1984, the third of six siblings (three brothers and three sisters) traces his familial roots in Oyugis, Homabay County, where he gradually nurtured his football career.
Omondi began waxing his skills at Nyatindo Primary School in Oyugis, inspired by his father, Kornelio Owino, an ex-offensive midfielder for Kenyan Premier League club Brooke Bond FC in Kericho.
The Kericho-based outfit punched a ticket to battle on the top-flight stage in 1999 after clinching the Western Zone Nationwide League but exited the scene three seasons later due to financial constraints.
"It was my dad who initially encouraged me to start playing football given he was also once a player featuring for Brooke Bond in Kericho," Omondi remarked.
"My father played a key role in my career given he would attend my games to follow up on my progress during high school and once in Homabay when playing in a KPL match," he added.
Image: /FILE
Omondi's proficiency was evident from his early years at Nyatindo, where he was twice chosen to represent Homabay County in National Elementary School ball events.
"I played national twice in 2007 at Nairobi School, where we reached the finals and in 2008 in Nyeri, where we reached the semis," Omondi stated.
"We finished in second position at the Nairobi games and I scooped the Golden Boot award after finishing the tournament with four goals," he added.
Omondi enrolled at St. George's Mixed Secondary School Sikri in Homabay county after sitting for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2008.
In the same year, he cracked the final roster of 18 Kenyan youth players selected to join and train with the Qatar-based Aspire Football Academy for six months, following a comprehensive selection process conducted at Moi Stadium, Kasarani by head coach Anthony Origi.
"Traveling with the team meant that I had to repeat Form One after missing lessons for two good terms. However, when I finally returned to the country, I transferred from St. George's to Kisumu Day High School where I started Form One afresh the following year," Omondi remarked.
Omondi was exhilarated to join Kisumu Day, an institution known for its established tradition of nurturing great footballers.
"Even though we had a good team at Kisumu Day, we were eliminated by Gekomoni in the Nyanza regional finals at Homabay High School in 2012," Omondi remarked.
Image: FILE
"Eventually, I transferred to St. Ignatius Loyola Magadi Secondary School in Kisumu where I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)," Omondi added.
In the meantime, the fleet-footed forward featured for Kisumu Youth Olympic Center (KYOC), a football academy participating in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) county league.
So glossed were his skills by then that his mastery of the game attracted the attention of Agro Chemical head coach James 'Odijo' Omondi who immediately signed him to play for them in the National Super League (NSL).
"While still at Kisumu Day, I would turn out for Kisumu Youth Olympic Centre during the long holidays. That's where Agro Chemical head coach Odijo spotted me playing and invited me to join his club," Omondi said.
"I featured for the club for two good seasons after which I joined KPL side Nzoia Sugar," he added.
It wasn't long before traditional Kenyan behemoth Gor Mahia came knocking for his services.
"I only spent six months at Nzoia before signing up for Gor Mahia in 2017 as soon as the club appointed Brazilian football legend Jose Marcelo Ferreira (Ze Maria) as head coach," Omondi stated.
"I was the top scorer at Nzoia Sugar at the end of the first leg of the Kenyan Premier League when we played Gor at Mumias Complex. Ze Maria was impressed and approached me for a deal with Gor Mahia. He signed me alongside my teammate Joachim Oluoch," he added.
Image: FILE
Omondi's skills had ripened to maturity and cracking a spot in the first eleven of Gor Mahia proved to be an easy task for him.
He has never looked back ever since. He has plied trade for the record Kenyan champions throughout except in 2020 when he shifted his alliance to the defunct top-tier side Wazito FC.
Despite signing a three-year deal with the Money Bags, Omondi only lasted there for a while and rejoined K'Ogalo in the following season.
Omondi was only 23 years old when he laid claim to his first KPL title with K'Ogalo. Six years down the line, he still yearns for more.
"So far I've bagged six silver wares with Gor. I'll be a lot happier if I manage to add one more title," Omondi said.
Omondi is so much fond of the club that provided him with the perfect stage to showcase his talent both locally and on the international front.
"Apart from winning six titles with Gor, I have featured for them in the Cecafa and Caf tournaments as well as friendlies against English clubs Everton and Hull City," Omondi stated.
He reminisces about his lofty achievements with K'Ogalo on the international stage.
The Kenyan champions made history by qualifying for the quarterfinals of Caf competitions for the first time after wrapping up second in their group with nine points.
Image: FILE
"I'll always be proud of comprising the squad that propelled the club to the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup."
Omondi also recalls the day he featured for the Kenyan champions in a historic clash against English Premier League side Everton at Goodison Park in 2018.
The two sides locked horns in the SportPesa Trophy, with Gor Mahia making history as the first African side to play against a Premier League club in the UK.
K'Ogalo secured a showdown with the Blues after defeating Tanzania’s Simba SC in the SportPesa Super Cup final.
"Playing against Everton twice was a thrilling experience, one that I will live to remember. Few players in Africa ever get the rare opportunity to play against an EPL club and I'm grateful for scaling such heights," Omondi said.
His worst experience in football came during their Caf Confederations Cup campaign against Tunisian side Barkane.
"It was extremely exhausting travelling on the same day we were having a match. We spent 10 hours on a bus from Casablanca to Barkane," Omondi said.
"We were on the road from 9 am to 7 pm trying to catch up with a match that was scheduled for 8 pm. We also waited for nine hours at the airport in Doha," he added.
Omondi said he has never felt undue pressure turning out for Gor Mahia which boasts one of the largest support bases in the country.
"I've never felt intimidated playing in front of Gor Mahia fans in a packed stadium. I've always felt welcomed at the club from the day I was given a standing ovation when I scored my first goal for the side during our Shield Cup match against Bandari in Thika," Omondi remarked.
"The match ended 1-1 and was settled by postmatch penalties which Bandari won to advance to the next stage of the competition," he added.
To date, Omondi has received three call-ups to the national team, Harambee Stars, including in 2018 when Kenya was stripped of the rights to host the Africa Nations Championships after failing to upgrade its stadia to Fifa standards
Image: FILE
"I earned a call-up last year for the World Cup and Afcon qualifiers and twice in 2018 when we were supposed to host Chan," Omondi stated.
With the Caf Champions League now in sight, Omondi has already set his target on what he intends to accomplish.
"Our initial goal is to make it to the group stage of the competition. After that, we can start plotting how to proceed to Round Four of the competition," he said.
Omondi said he draws immense inspiration from former Gor Mahia striker Dan Serunkuma and Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry, a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side.
He takes time to share some words of wisdom with Kenyan youths who aspire to top-level level football.
"Self-discipline will determine a lot. One needs to sacrifice more by putting in a lot of hard work," he said.
What's his message to Gor Mahia fans and his teammates heading into the new season, the Kagame Cup and Caf Champions League?
"To the fans, we love them more because we've achieved a lot with them as our 12th player. We now need them more than before," Omondi remarked.
"To my teammates, the heavy task is ahead of us because expectations are high, so everyone knows what to do when given a chance," he added. Omondi spends his free time listening to music and watching his favourite music.