AFC Leopards’ left-back, Vincent Mahiga, expressed disbelief at his call-up to the national team, Harambee Stars, for the just-concluded four-nation tournament in Malawi, where Kenya emerged victorious by defeating Zimbabwe in the final.Mahiga was drafted into the national fold to replace Abud Omar, who was dropped on the eve of the travel day due to a physical altercation with Romanian-based Erick Johana. Johana, in turn, was also removed from the squad and replaced by Gor Mahia winger Sharrif Musa.##NAJAVA_MECA_8002382##With first-choice left-back Eric Ouma sidelined due to injury, Omar was initially expected to start at left-back with Gor Mahia’s Geoffrey Ochieng as his understudy. However, an unexpected turn of events in the camp led to Mahiga being summoned for duty late at night, ultimately leapfrogging Ochieng in the pecking order.Mahiga subsequently featured in both games against Malawi, contributing to Kenya’s 4-0 victory in the semifinal and their triumph over Zimbabwe in the final, where the Stars emerged as 3-1 winners to claim the trophy.Reflecting on his unexpected journey, Mahiga admitted that initially he thought it was all a jest until he embarked on his journey to Malawi at midday, hours after the rest of the team had departed.Recalling the moment, Mahiga stated,Vihiga Queens coach remains hopeful amid tough KWPL competition “At first, I thought it was a joke,” he told Capital Sports.He elaborated that he received the summons to camp at 3 am, shortly after his teammate Kayci Odhiambo, who also made his debut in Malawi, informed him of the impending call-up to the national team.”Kayci called me around 3 am and advised me to stay alert because I might receive a call from the team. Within minutes of processing his words, I received the call and was asked to report to camp immediately. Luckily, I had all my documents in order, allowing me to rush from home to the airport,” Mahiga recounted.For Mahiga, the call-up and eventual debut were a realization of a lifelong dream. Having played for clubs such as Nzoia Sugar, Chemelil Sugar FC, Kakamega Homeboyz, and GFE 105, he expressed his excitement, stating,”I couldn’t believe it. I was thrilled because this opportunity was extraordinary. I always harbored the desire to represent the national team, and as a player, you must always be prepared.”Looking ahead, Mahiga aspires to continue his journey with the Stars and hopes to be part of the team that will compete against Burundi and the Ivory Coast in the upcoming June World Cup qualifiers.Levin Odhiambo grateful to Tusker as he heads to Gor Mahia
