Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla has joined Lebanon's top side Al-Safa FC in a one-year deal for an unspecified amount of money.
Omala, who finished as the FKF Premier League top scorer with 19 goals last season, was officially announced on the club’s social media handles as their player.
The Beirut, side finished fourth last season in the 12-team Lebanese league and are beefing up their frontline to fight for the title.
The Eagles play at the 4000-seater Safa Stadium and have won three Lebanese league titles and three FA cups among other accolades.
This comes as K'Ogalo prepares for their CAF Champions League preliminary first-leg clash against South Sudan side, Al Merreikh FC on Sunday in Juba, Sudan.
Omalla saw his move to the Algerian side, JS Saoura, hit a snag during the mid-transfer window in February, due to paperwork delays, despite K'Ogalo earlier indicating the completion of the deal.
The former Western Stima man was instrumental in K'Ogalo’s back-to-back FKF Premier League title-winning campaigns after managing 45 goals and his services will be missed big time.
Head coach Leonardo Neiva will be left starching his head as he tries to find a new point man to ensure the flow of goals continues.
With the transfer window still open, K'Ogalo can easily bring a new striker on board, but at the moment, Leonardo will have to use Congolese Gedeon Bendeka, youngster Chris Ochieng and Mark Shaban.
Omalla joined Mahia from Western Stima in 2020 after being poached from Chapa Dimba na Safaricom season One tournament winners Manyatta United in 2019.
The 22-year-old Kisumu Day alumnus also had a short stint with Swedish side FC Linköping City in 2021 and has been capped six times by Harambee Stars— scoring two goals in national colours.
The marauding striker has blistering speed and goal-poaching instincts but has also been criticised for his poor first touch and inability to break the offside trap.
However, the boy from Nyamasaria Slums, Kisumu proved critics wrong by consistently scoring for Gor a tally of 58 league goals in four seasons.
Former Gor Mahia coach Johnathan McKinstry always spoke highly of Omalla and believed he would make a move to a bigger league one day.
"Omalla is young, talented and consistent; he will go places. His move to Algeria may have failed but I know he will get another deal soon," McKinstry was quoted as saying.
His most famous goal was a double against rivals AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji derby during the 2023/2024 season first-leg clash.
He is also remembered for missing a crucial penalty against Ingwe as K'Ogalo's unbeaten run since 2016 was broken courtesy of a 2-1 defeat.
Meanwhile, Omalla’s brother Duncan Omalla is training with Shabana FC as he hopes to join the Gusii side. The Kenya U-18 forward was a sub in Shabana’s 1-0 loss against Kenya Police FC during last weekend’s friendly clash.