- Harambee Stars forward Job Ochieng became the third Kenyan to play in Spain’s top-flight after he finally made his Real Sociedad debut
- Ochieng, who has been featuring for Sociedad’s reserve teams, came on in the second half as they beat Elche at the Reale Arena
- Ocheing will now be hoping to cement his status in the first team that boasts of good attackers like Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉
Harambee Stars striker Job Ochieng made his La Liga debut on Saturday evening, coming off the bench for Real Sociedad against Elche.
Source: Twitter
Ochieng was introduced from the bench in the 65th minute, taking the place of Goncalo Guedes as Sociedad went on to win the game 3-1 in front of their home fans at the Reale Arena.
Luka Sucic opened the scoring in the 24th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal doubled the lead in the 37th minute with his ninth goal of the campaign.
Andre Silva pulled one back for the visitors three minutes before the break, but Orri Oskarsson scored in the 89th minute to ensure Sociedad got the maximum points.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉
Who is Job Ochieng?
Before finally getting his breakthrough on Saturday, Ochieng had been an unused substitute in Sociedad’s last three games, including in their 2-1 win over leaders and champions Barcelona.
The 23-year-old was born in Nairobi and came through the Ligi Ndogo Academy before he moved to Spain in 2019, where he joined the Maspalomas academy. He later trained with Las Palmas but didn’t secure a spot before Real Sociedad came calling in 2019.
Ochieng started with the club’s team C, where he steadily worked his way up to team B, where he was playing this season, before head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo introduced him to the main team.
He becomes the second Kenyan to play for the Basque club after former Harambee Stars captain McDonald Mariga.
Source: Twitter
Mariga is the current Deputy President of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). Overall, he is the third Kenyan to play in Spain’s top-flight after Mariga and current national team captain Michael Olunga, who played for Girona.
Internationally, he made his debut for Harambee Stars last year during a World Cup qualifier game against Gambia.
What next for Real Sociedad and Job Ochieng?
The win over Elche took them to eighth place with 31 points, 11 behind Villarreal, who occupy the last Champions League spot.
Ochieng will be hoping to get more minutes when they play Athletic Bilbao in the first-leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday. The winner of that game will face the winner of the game between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Harambee Stars players land huge moves ahead of AFCON 2027
It has been a good couple of weeks for Kenyan players who have sealed big moves with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil just around the corner.
Defender Collins Sichenje moved to Championship side Charlton Athletic, while utility man Manzur Okwaro joined Stade Reims in France’s Ligue 2.
Amos Wanjala joined Valencia while Zak Vyner swapped Bristol City for Wrexham in the English Championship.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
