Kakamega Homeboyz Moses Shumah (right) dribbles past Al Hilal Bashier Alkarami during Confederation of Africa Football (caf) Confederation match on August 19th 2023 played at Nyayo Stadium.
Kakamega Homeboyz’s striker Moses Shumah has aid clinching the 2024/25 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) Golden Boot is his greatest achievement in his nascent football career.
The 22-year-old Kenya international said the feat was even more special considering that he played through several injuries this season.
Shumah topped the top scorers’ chart with 17 goals, one more than FC Talanta’s striker Emmanuel Osoro with Tusker’s forward Ryan Ogam third on 15 strikes.
“This has been the best season of my football career,” a delighted Shumah told Nation Sport.
“Imagine emerging the best amongst the many strikers we have in the league. I will treasure this for a long time,” he said, dedicating the Godleb Boot award to his wife and unborn child.
Kakamega Homeboyz striker Moses Shumah.
The Laiser Hill Academy alumnus helped Homeboyz finish third on the league table.
Interestingly, Homeboyz won or drew in all matches that Shumah scored save for one.
He started in 27 matches, spicing up his Golden Boot achievement with three assists.
Of his 17 goals, four came from the penalty spot.
Tusker’s Ryhan Ogam, 20, had established himself as the early frontrunner in the Golden Boot race, with 15 goals from the first 18 rounds of matches.
However, he picked a knee injury that required surgery on April 1. He returned on the final day of the season against Homeboyz on Sunday.
While the Golden Boot race was still wide open heading into the season finale, Shumah says he was not under any pressure, as he was confident of clinching the gong.
None of the trio found the back of the net on the day as Shumah walked away with the gong.
“Being told that I was the best scorer of the season at the end of the match was just music to my ears.”
However, Shumah admits that winning the Golden Boot was not his primary goal at the start of the season but to help his team perform well.
“This season, I tried my best to focus on helping the team. We had an ambition winning the league.”
He scored seven goals last season.
Before Baraza’s arrival in October last year, Shumah had struggled to find play time under coach Ken Kenyatta who was fired due to poor performance.
Kakamega Homeboyz Moses Shumah (right) dribbles past Al Hilal Bashier Alkarami during Confederation of Africa Football (caf) Confederation match on August 19th 2023 played at Nyayo Stadium.
He did not start in the team’s first four matches. “I’m so grateful to him (Baraza) because he showed a lot of trust in me. He preferred me as his first-choice striker. Even when I was not feeling well, he kept me on the pitch just for me to try and get a goal,” he said. The striker recalled their 1-0 victory over hosts Barandi on April 19 where the weather in Mombasa took a toll on him but the coach kept him on the pitch until he scored the winning goal in the 74th minute.
His favourite strikes? A stunning long-range curler in their 3-1 win over Murang’a Seal on February 19 and powerful headers in the team’s 2-1 victory against AFC Leopards on April 4, and a 2-2 draw with KCB on March 30.
Shumah says he used to put in two additional hours of individual training, four days a week to work on his ball control, mobility and strength.
“To be top and remain consistent you must put in extra training,” he simply said.
“It is never easy. I have been playing with injuries in most matches. You feel the pain but you tell yourself that you just have to push,” he said.
He hopes to make it to the Harambee Stars squad for the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship that will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from August 2 to 30.
With clubs chasing after his signature, Shumah may not stay at Homeboyz for long you feel.
