Michael "Mike" Okoth Origi (born 16 November 1967 in Murang'a), also often referred to as Mike Okoth, is a retired Kenyan footballer. For the most part of his career, he played as a professional in Belgium.

Club career

edit

Origi played for Kenyan clubs Shabana and Kenya Breweries (now Tusker). In 1992 he moved to Omani club Boshar and three months later to K.V. Oostende in Belgium. His most successful season was in 1998–99, when his club Racing Genk won the Belgian Pro League. In 2006, at the age of 38, he was still active, although in a low-division league.

Origi was known in Belgium for being a calm football player; never complaining, never protesting and never injuring an opponent. Amongst the fans he was known for being very friendly and "normal".[citation needed]

International career

edit

Origi was a regular player for the Kenya national team and played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1990, 1992 and 2004.[citation needed]

Personal life

edit

Origi is of Luo ethnicity.[1] His brother, Austin Oduor, was also a football player and a long term captain of Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier League. His other brothers, Gerald and Anthony, also played for Kenya Breweries, the former in the mid '90s. His nephew Arnold is a goalkeeper for Norwegian Tippeligaen side Lillestrøm and the Kenya national team.

His son Divock played for the Genk U-15 team but signed for Lille in May 2010. He scored on his debut for the Ligue 1 side against Troyes on 4 February 2013.[2] He was selected to be part of the Belgium national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by former player and current manager Marc Wilmots,[3] and became the youngest Belgian player ever to score at a World Cup finals when he scored in the 88th minute of a 1–0 win over Russia to secure a spot in the knockout stage for the Red Devils.[4][5]

References

edit
  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2058: attempt to index a boolean value.
  2. ^ Divock Origi scores debut goal in Ligue 1 - Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2058: attempt to index a boolean value.
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2058: attempt to index a boolean value.
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2058: attempt to index a boolean value.
edit

Template:Kenya Squad 1992 Africa Cup of Nations Template:Kenya Squad 2004 Africa Cup of Nations