Legendary defender Edgar ‘Fighter’ Ochieng has been sparing time from his schedule and gracing Mathare United’s club’s National Super League assignments.His imposing height makes him stand out in an average human crowd, making it easy to spot his presence amongst the fans at the stadium.Fighter has not been enjoying his company at the stadium, as a handful of the club’s old boys and administrators have been attending matches in a bid to inspire the team to achieve automatic promotion.With 2024 just around the corner, Fighter hopes that the team will not stop at anything until it regains its place in the table of men and lost glory.##NAJAVA_MECA_7769417##This is one of his biggest wish for the New Year, which is less than 24 hours away. Currently, Leonard Odipo’s charges are placed second on the log with 30 points, three off Naivas.”I have been attending matches with the sole purpose of motivating the players. The journey to promotion requires concerted effort from the players, management, and fans. As a legend, I want nothing but the return of the team to the top flight,” he told Mozzart Sport.Mathare’s 25-year stay in the top flight ended last season after the team finished second from bottom and was consequently relegated.The demotion of the team on sporting grounds left the once hard-tackling centre-back dejected, as were the thousands of players and administrators who passed through the club or honed their skills in the youth setup.Stars Abroad: Senaji crowned Castel Challenge Cup Champion in MalawiVihiga Bullets, Omax FC set to rebrand in JanuaryHowever, he believes in second chances, a stronger return of Mathare to the top flight, and the redemption of the image of the club.The former Kenyan international who won the Kenyan Premier League with the club in 2008 reached out to the golden generation, calling for their support to the team that is in pole position to run away with one of the two available automatic promotion slots.”Everyone associated with the club had a role to play. I am sure the presence of former players at the stadium will mean something to the current ones. In this regard, I plead with the former players to show solidarity and back the team,” he appealed.The defender who hung up his boots in 2016 also delved into the standards of the top league and football in the country at large.He vouched for the revival of the U-20 Premier League and the revamping of other youth leagues as one of the surest ways of unearthing more talents and finding the route to the good old days.Interestingly, Mathare United are the last team to win the Kenyan Premier League U20 tournament that was last held in 2016, beating AFC Leopards 4-2 on post-match penalties at Camp Toyoyo.”It is unfortunate that the ‘Wazee Leagues’ and inter-estate tournaments attract more following than top-flight football. We should be putting more emphasis on youth development and having young players take part in a structured and competitive league,” he offered.EXCLUSIVE: How thriving Mathare United rookie was forced back to footballFighter joined Mathare in 2002 from KCB. He featured for the club for five seasons before joining Dhofar Club in Oman, although on loan from the Slum Boys.He played in Oman for a year before returning to Mathare where he remained in their books until 2010 when Sofapaka came calling.Fighter reunited with Mathare in 2013 and would don the famous yellow colours for three more seasons, calling it a day in 2016.
