Bixente Otieno was destined to be one of the finest goalkeepers in the country, but his career has been hampered by injury setbacks and constant competition in the KCB goalkeeping department.Otieno honed his skills at Makongeni Youth Sports Association Academy before moving on to Gor Mahia Youth, where he continued to develop.His professional career began at Kariobangi Sharks, albeit his time with the Utalii-based squad was brief.Paul Were pleased with his contribution in Mathare’s quest for promotionDespite a brief spell with Sharks, the one-time U-17 custodian found a new home after joining the then-Moneybags but now-defunct Wazito Football Club. His career took off at Wazito, where he rose to popularity while also playing for the National Team Junior Stars and Rising Stars squads.Following his stint with Wazito, Otieno joined the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Football Club at the start of last season.It’s while at the Ruaraka-stationed outfit that his limited playing time predicaments unfolded. In his debut season with the Bankers, Otieno was primarily an unused replacement, with Harambee Stars goalkeeper Brian Omondi and Gabriel Andika favoured ahead of him.Following the signing of seasoned goalkeeper Faruk Shikalo from Kakamega Homeboyz during the mid-season transfer window, the rookie custodian’s current season has not been any better than the previous campaign.Shikalo joined the KCB bank-financed club, replacing Omondi, who departed the Benard Mwalala-coached side for John Baraza’s Bandari FC.##NAJAVA_MECA_8154912##Shikalo has since established himself as a starter in goal since his arrival, with Andika serving as his backup and Otieno generally filling in on matchdays.Worse still, for Otieno, his current campaign has been plagued by shin issues that have caused him to be in and out of the medical department.Otieno believes the aforementioned has been the cause of his absence between the sticks; however, he recognizes good competition as another component of his restricted playing time.”It has been disappointing not to have regular playing time since I joined the team due to the level of competitiveness on the team. It was not going to be easy to dethrone them and command a starting berth. The injury hasn’t helped much either,” says Otieno.As the league nears its sunset, the soft-spoken goalie can only but hope to fully recuperate in time and handle minutes beneath his feet next season.”The season is done, and my focus now is to fully recover and subsequently work hard towards fighting for my position,” he said.Charles Okere’s vision for Tusker FC after earning CAF A licenseDespite not performing as well as many expected in the league and mostly languishing in mid-table positions, KCB is still in contention for the Mozzart Bet Cup title, where they face Kenya Police in the 29 June final. Otieno has backed his team to win and represent Kenya in the CAF Confederations interclub competition next season.”It hasn’t been our best year compared to the previous seasons, but with a perfect chance to get hold of the domestic Cup, I am optimistic we will win the tournament to save for our abysmal season,” said the Kamukunji High School alumnus.
