Austin Odhiambo’s first assist after DR Congo victory goes to his parents
Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 10.08.25. | 07:32
His path to this moment was far from easy, from honing his craft at Baba Dogo grounds with Baba Dogo Youth FC,
In the quiet lanes of Ramula Village, Ugunja, Siaya County, pride and joy mingled with disbelief. Just hours after etching his name into Kenyan football history, Harambee Stars hero Austin Odhiambo made his first pass, not on the pitch, but straight to the two people who first believed in him, his parents.
The Gor Mahia playmaker had delivered the defining moment in Kenya’s opening match of the tournament with a precise strike at the stroke of halftime that secured a 1–0 win over DR Congo, Kenya’s first-ever victory at the championship.
The reward was an instant KSh 1 million from President William Ruto, part of an unprecedented promise of KSh 1 million for every win, KSh 500,000 for a draw, and monumental bonuses for deeper progress in the tournament.
But for Odhiambo, the celebrations started at home. "When money hit his account after the win against DR Congo, Austin sent us money immediately,” recalled his mother, Mrs. Evaline Otieno, in an interview with Citizen TV, her voice warm with pride.
“We were the first to receive part of his reward. He called and asked if I was with his dad, then told us to check our phones. We were so happy we laughed together.”
His father, Mr. Barrack Otieno, could not help but trace the journey back to their dusty compound, where his son and elder brother Tyson Otieno chased handmade footballs until sundown.
"I never imagined football could take him this far,” he said softly. “But Austin has always been determined.”
Tyson, now a former Kariobangi Sharks midfielder and FKF-PL champion with Kenya Police, knows that determination all too well.
"We played knowing football could change our family and community,” he said. “That dream kept us going."
Odhiambo has since proven that his heroics were no one-off. In Kenya’s second group match against Angola, his calm 12th-minute penalty secured a 1–1 draw, keeping Harambee Stars on top of Group A and on course for a historic quarter-finals berth in the 2024 CHAN championship edition.
His path to this moment was far from easy, from honing his craft at Baba Dogo grounds with Baba Dogo Youth FC, to joining AFC Leopards’ youth side in 2016 under then-coach and current AFC Leopards chairman Boniface Ambani after days of trials, to earning his place in the senior squad in 2019.
Odhiambo finally moved to Gor Mahia in 2021 after spending three laden years at the den, with every step defined by hard work.
The FKF-PL 2023/24 season was his breakthrough campaign, which crowned his efforts with 12 goals and 13 assists, delivering Gor Mahia's 21st league title and earning the FKF-PL Most Valuable Player award.
Internationally, Odhiambo has carried the national flag at U-20 and U-23 levels, but it was at the 2024 COSAFA Cup in South Africa, where he scored on his senior debut against Zimbabwe, that the country first glimpsed his match-winning instincts.
