{"id":160307,"date":"2026-04-14T15:32:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/okoths-golden-boot-hunt-powers-ulinzi-survival-push"},"modified":"2026-04-14T16:29:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:29:51","slug":"okoths-golden-boot-hunt-powers-ulinzi-survival-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/okoths-golden-boot-hunt-powers-ulinzi-survival-push","title":{"rendered":"Okoth\u2019s Golden Boot hunt powers Ulinzi survival push"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"ap-article-header-tag\"> <strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Kenya. <\/strong> <\/span>In the heart of the Sportpesa Premier League relegation storm, one man continues to stand tall like a soldier on duty.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Okoth Odhiambo has emerged as Ulinzi Stars\u2019 most lethal weapon, a striker whose goals have kept the military side breathing in a season defined by pressure, survival battles, and shifting fortunes.<\/p>\n<p>Signed from Migori Youth in September 2025, Okoth\u2019s rise has been swift, almost ruthless. Thirteen league goals later, he now finds himself not just as Ulinzi\u2019s talisman, but also a genuine contender for the Golden Boot. Yet, for the striker, the mission remains simple: survival first, glory later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am grateful for the chance Ulinzi Stars gave me, because it changed everything in my career,\u201d Okoth says.<\/p>\n<p>The journey has not been linear. From school football at Dagoretti High School to early struggles in the top flight, and a rebuilding spell in the National Super League, Okoth describes his career as a process of refinement rather than reinvention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always believed my breakthrough would come if I stayed patient and kept working hard,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>At Ulinzi Stars, that patience has transformed into productivity. His debut goal against Murang\u2019a SEAL set the tone for a campaign filled with decisive finishes, including the season\u2019s first hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Posta Rangers. Match after match, he has carried the attacking burden almost alone, often turning half-chances into match-winning moments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t see pressure as a burden; I see it as responsibility,\u201d he says. Despite his individual brilliance, Ulinzi Stars have struggled collectively, sitting deep in the relegation zone for much of the season. Wins have been scarce, and goals from other areas of the pitch even scarcer. Yet Okoth has refused to let frustration define his output. \u201cWhen the team is struggling, that is when I must step up even more,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>His consistency has placed him in direct competition with the league\u2019s top scorers, including Joe Irungu Waithira. The Golden Boot race has become an unexpected subplot in Ulinzi\u2019s survival fight, with Okoth refusing to be distracted by external noise. \u201cI know people talk about the Golden Boot, but I focus on scoring in the next game,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the numbers lies a striker who credits discipline and military structure for sharpening his mentality at Ulinzi Stars. Training sessions, tactical drills, and the expectation of discipline have all shaped his evolution into a more complete forward. \u201cThe environment here has made me stronger mentally and physically,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>With interest already growing from top Kenyan clubs and even regional suitors in Zambia, speculation about his future continues to intensify. However, Okoth insists his focus remains firmly on the present battle. \u201cI am not thinking about transfers right now; my focus is to help Ulinzi stay in the league,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the ambition is clear. For a striker in peak form, personal milestones matter just as much as team survival. The Golden Boot remains within reach, and Okoth does not hide his desire to achieve it. \u201cI want to finish the season as the top scorer; that is a dream I am working towards every day,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>As Ulinzi Stars prepare for a tense run-in, Okoth\u2019s role becomes even more critical. Each fixture now carries survival weight, and every chance inside the box could define not only his season, but the club\u2019s fate. \u201cI believe we can survive this situation if we stay united and fight in every match,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the soldier striker marches on\u2014goal by goal, game by game\u2014carrying both hope and expectation on his shoulders. Whether Ulinzi Stars survive the drop or not, Okoth\u2019s rise has already marked him as one of the league\u2019s defining stories of the 2025\/26 season.<\/p>\n<p>And as the final stretch approaches, one thing is certain: the Golden Boot race is no longer just about numbers\u2014it is about a striker who refuses to stop believing. \u201cI will keep pushing until the last whistle of the season,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-article-footer-note\">Find more news and analyses on <span class=\"ap-highlight-country\">Kenya<\/span> on the <span class=\"ap-highlight-brand\">Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Kenya. In the heart of the Sportpesa Premier League relegation storm, one man continues to stand tall like a soldier on duty. Paul Okoth Odhiambo has emerged as Ulinzi Stars\u2019 most lethal weapon, a striker whose goals have kept the military side breathing in a season defined by pressure, survival battles, and shifting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":160306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[544],"class_list":["post-160307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-kenya"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Okoth\u2019s Golden Boot hunt powers Ulinzi survival push - kenya<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag&quot;&gt; Africa-Press - Kenya. 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