Job Ochieng Promised Key Role at La Liga Club After Exciting Pre-Season

Job Ochieng arrived in Spain three seasons ago as an unknown Kenyan winger who had caught the eye of scouts at a Nairobi scouting combine. He is now being discussed in Spanish football circles as one of the most exciting wide players in the country's top flight — and his club's head coach delivered a message this week that has electrified Kenyan football fans.

"We will see more of him," the coach said at a pre-season press conference, pointing to Ochieng specifically when asked which younger players had impressed during summer preparations. "He had a very good pre-season. He is ready. The coaches believe in him."

For Ochieng, 23, the public endorsement is the payoff for a summer of intense work. He spent the off-season in Nairobi training with a private conditioning coach, returning to Spain leaner and faster than when he left. Pre-season statistics shared by the club show he topped the squad's sprint speed metrics and ranked second in total distance covered per training session.

The Harambee Stars connection adds a national dimension to his club story. Kenya coach Benni McCarthy, who has been building a squad for the 2027 AFCON that Kenya is co-hosting, has made Ochieng a guaranteed starter when fit. The prospect of watching Ochieng line up for both his La Liga club and Kenya in the same year has fans counting down days.

Last summer, Ochieng came remarkably close to a Ksh60 million transfer to Real Sociedad before the deal collapsed in its final hours over agent fee disputes — a near-miss that his current club used to quietly offer him an improved contract. He signed. Real Sociedad, for their part, are reportedly still monitoring him for a January window approach.