Paul Ochuoga was barely 15 when Gor Mahia last dominated the league, winning four titles in a row between 2017 and 2020. At the time, he was battling for minutes at Gor Mahia Youth FC but now the 18-year-old right-back has won his first two trophies with the Kenyan giants.He says he hangs his Madaraka Cup champions medal and the FKF Premier League medal proudly. Promoted from the youth set-up right at the start of the 2022/23 FKF PL season, Ochuoga had to bide his time first before being thrown into the fray, something he did not expect.‘’It’s one thing to be promoted into the senior team and it’s another to get playing time. Most of the players never make it and given I am playing in a big team, the challenge was going to be harder,’’ he says.##NAJAVA_MECA_7346739##Gor Mahia banked heavily on the youth this season with the likes of John Ochieng, Austine Odhiambo, and Alpha Onyango bagging decent amounts of playing time. But these ones had already cut their teeth in the top flight in previous seasons. For Ochuoga, it was a first, and one in which he had to prove himself. ‘’Gor Mahia has very good defenders. The clean sheet numbers speak a lot. There is a mixture of youth and experience so I knew for me to play I had to put in a little extra effort in training. I play in the same position as the captains Philemon Otieno and Geoffrey Ochieng and that’s already a scare if you are young. To fight for a place with the captains is never going to be an easy task,” he adds.Philemon, whose season was marred by unfortunate injuries, spent a good chunk of the season out and so the youngster Ochuoga had to be cast into the fray. He dully heeded the call and delivered- sometimes leaving his own coaches speechless. The Madaraka Cup final against their arch-rivals AFC Leopards was a testament to his prowess down on the right flank.‘’Once I settled in there was no looking back. I had to fill in for my captain, very big shoes. The cup final against Leopards was a huge morale boost to me. I played well and earned my first trophy with the club. There is no feeling like it,’’ he continues.Nzoia Sugar midfielder confirms departure to AFC LeopardsGor Mahia bowed out of the Mozzart Bet Cup at the hands of Kakamega Homeboyz in Bukhungu, a 1-0 loss that ruled them out of a treble. Ochuoga says this is where all focus now shifted to the league which Gor would win on the very last day of the season.‘’I must admit I personally was tense after that Cup game against Homeboyz but the team spirit when we resumed the league assured me that we could in fact win the league title. Everyone was calm, the experienced players played the remainder of the season without any pressure and that inspires younger players like myself,’’ he says of their spirited finish towards the tail end of the season.Gor Mahia, though stumbling in the penultimate round of the FKF PL season, regained their footing on the final day to humble Nairobi City Stars 4-1, a result that meant Tusker’s 4-0 away win to Vihiga Bullets was all but in vain. The champions secured an unprecedented 20th league title, and Ochuoga- a second title in just his first season in the top flight.
