We caught up with the U.S-based midfielder who is back in Kenya on holiday for an exclusive interview.Welcome back home. How long have you been away and how does it feel to be back in Kenya? Mwea based rice farmer wins a Proton Saga in Omoka Na Moti promotionThank you. It feels nice to be back home. Cumulatively I have been away for two years but I came back home several times during the break but never stayed for long.What had you missed most about Kenya?Definitely food and being around my close friends and familyWhat is the first thing you did when you came back? I had to get some well-cooked Ugali and beef (laughs). I don’t get much of that in the U.S and I had missed it. My friend in the U.S took me to an African restaurant mid-season and I packed a lot of maize flour but it is never the same with what we have here in Kenya.Tell us about your family background and upbringing? I was born and brought up in Manyatta, Kisumu. I have five siblings. I started playing football in the neighborhood with polythene balls. We were then scouted by a grassroots coach known as Ronny who convinced us to join his team – Desert Rangers. No one in our family has ever played football. My dad supported me but my mum was not happy with me playing a lot of football initially as she wanted me to focus on education but she eventually did.Your schooling background?I started out at Manyatta Primary School then went to Kisumu Day High School for my form 1 and 2 studies. I then transferred to Lions High School and did my form four at Oruba Mixed Secondary School in Migori.When did you realize you are gifted in football? I realized this early very early since I would get compliments but it is at Kisumu Day that I took it seriously since it is a footballing school and it convinced me to pursue it as a career.How did you end up joining Sony Sugar FC? While at Oruba we used to play a lot of friendly matches with Sony Sugar at Awendo and they convinced me to join their youth team. I featured in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) U20 Tournament and eventually joined the senior team.How would you sum up your stay at Sony Sugar? That was the best time of my life to be honest. Sony developed me into the player I am today. They gave me the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. I played my best football at Sony and learnt from the best. I am what I am because of Sony Sugar FC.Who was your best teammate at Sony Sugar and why? It has to be Amos Asembeka. He is a very intelligent player and taught me a lot. The best thing I picked from him is simplicity. They say simplicity is genius and I learnt that from him. He is one of the best players I have ever played with and he can achieve a lot.Do you have one specific game during your Sony days that you will always remember? Kennedy Ochieng: The willowy Mathare prodigy drawing inspiration from OlungaI enjoyed every single game I played while at Sony and therefore it is very difficult for me to single out one (laughs)Sony Sugar FC is now defunct. How does that make you feel? I am devastated to be honest. Sony was a good team and above all a source of income to many. Now that it is no longer in existence many people are suffering. It was also a platform for many youngsters from the South Nyanza region to showcase their talent at the top league. I am really sad with what happened to the team.How did the move to Gor Mahia happen?My agent pushed for this deal to happen. I had a couple of offers after impressing at Sony and I personally wanted to move to Wazito since they had tabled a better offer than all the clubs. My agent however believed I would develop to a better player at K’Ogalo and looking back it was the best decision.How were your early days at Gor Mahia? I was ready to step up at Gor Mahia. Sony Sugar had prepared me very well and in as much as Gor Mahia was a bigger club with even bigger expectations, I was ready for the challenge.How did you manage to break into the first squad and play regularly?The coaches trusted me and I gave my best whenever I was chosen to represent the team. I won their trust by doing my best, just that.Best friend at Gor Mahia?I had a lot of friends but I really liked Wendo (Ernest). He is simple person and he was eager to guide and teach me. If you do that you automatically become my good friend (laughs).Who would you say was your best midfield partner during your days in the KPL? (Laughs) that is a tough question since I played alongside very good players but I would say Sandro and Asemebeka at Sony and Wendo, Muguna (Kenneth) and Lawi (Lawrence Juma) at Gor Mahia.You were at Gor Mahia when the team was really struggling financially. How did you cope? The Audacity of Dreams: This is the story of Emmanuel ‘Otis’ PalaIt was tough times at Gor Mahia but tough times never last. The only source of income was football and most of my teammates could not even settle basic bills and that really affected the team. One when one or two teammates is not settled fully then that will eventually trickle down to the unit. For me I just focused on playing football and getting better every day.Your move to the U.S was criticized by many Kenyan football fans who opined you should have moved to Europe. How was that for you? It meant they cared about me and that is good but to me I think I chose what was good for my career at that moment. What is important to me is to keep improving and getting better. Also that is the best option I had then and the fact that I was going out of Africa I knew it was a good opportunity to improve as a footballer. I have no regrets whatsoever.Is the long-term plan to play football in Europe for you? Definitely yes. It is in Europe where football is played at the highest level and I want to play there in the near future.You won the USL League One title with Union Omaha. How would you sum up your second season in the US? This was the first full season with Union Omaha and it was fantastic. We rectified some of the mistakes we did the previous season and it worked. On a personal level I also really enjoyed myself on the pitch and improved a great deal.🎬 Relive our biggest day 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.Thank you to the players, staff and fans who got us here – 2021 will always be special. 🏆#OneMeansAll pic.twitter.com/NhjnKj2Vmb— Union Omaha ⭐ (@Union_Omaha) December 6, 2021 During the final USL play-off match you had the Kenyan flag wrapped up while celebrating. What did you have in mind? I am Kenyan first before anything else and this was to show people out there that we have good sportsmen in Kenya. I am just one of them but there are very many other good footballers and athletes in my motherland. It was a proud moment for me.You sat out for almost two months with a bad thigh injury. How was it for you? This was the first time I suffered a serious injury and it wasn’t easy – physically and mentally. I am glad I overcame it.Were you afraid you were going to lose your position in the team at some point due to the lengthy lay off?To be honest, yes I did. But I came back stronger mentally and physically.Was it difficult to settle in the U.S? Any challenges? It wasn’t easy. Different language, culture but all is good now. I am coping well and I am well settled.What next for you after a good season in the USL? Any offers yet? I have offers but my focus is on improving myself and ensuring I become a better footballer. I let my management handle the other issues.What is the main difference you have noted between playing football in Kenya and the U.S? Professionalism. Everything is handled professionally and the players don’t struggle. They just focus on football.You have a good connection with Union Omaha fans. How does that feel? It feels good to have fans even abroad. In the long run we play football to make our fans happy. It is never easy winning over fans and I am always happy when they enjoy what we do on the pitch.You have played in various positions at Union Omaha. How has it been for you and should we expect a permanent positional change in the near future? The best position is on the pitch as they say and therefore I always give my best in whichever role the coach puts me in. I believe I have become a better player this season but my best and preferred position is defensive midfield. That is where I am most comfortable and where my qualities are best shown so no, I haven’t thought of a positional switch yet.You scored a couple of goals for Union Omaha this season. How does that make you feel? It makes me feel good but what makes me feel even better is providing assists because I am midfielder, that is my job.🦉 Union Omaha is closing in on a regular-season title thanks to this stunner from Tobias Otieno! What a free kick!1-0 | #OMAvRIC pic.twitter.com/VPyiRHKd9e— USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) October 24, 2021 Despite your obvious talent you are yet to feature for the Senior National team, Harambee Stars. Does it bother you? No it really doesn’t bother me. Playing for the National team is the ultimate dream of every footballer and I know my time will come. I will keep working hard.Your parting shot?Don’t give up and keep believing in God.
