Inside Harambee Stars Winger Job Ochieng’s Rise From Ligi Ndogo AC, Rejection By Las Palmas to Key Figure For Real Sociedad B

"He was on the street with his suitcase," recalls the coach who rescued Harambee Stars forward Job Ochieng to Relevo after the agency that brought him to Spain abandoned him upon his arrival from Nairobi at just 17 in 2020.

Despite the September international break, daily life continues at Real Sociedad's Zubieta training ground. Manager Imanol Alguacil is pushing the few first-team players available, along with several prospects from the Sanse reserve squad, through a rain-soaked morning session. 

The coach's intense instructions echoed across the pitch for nearly two hours, and no one was spared his critiques, including a 21-year-old from Nairobi named Job Nguono Ochieng. "Three times, Job! I've said it three times," the manager snapped, his face stern, at a player with an incredible story behind him.

"Many people from his village chipped in so he could get to Gran Canaria," Carlos Gaumet, one of Ochieng's guardian angels upon his arrival in Maspalomas, told Relevo. 

"There was an agency that brought, and still brings, players from practically all over the world, and Job ended up here," recalls Gaumet, who was instrumental in establishing the current partnership between the Canary Islands club and Real Sociedad, with Ochieng as the trailblazer.

The young Kenyan's journey began in the summer of 2020 when he was just 17. At the time, Gaumet was the head coach of the Maspalomas senior team, while Canary Islands football legend Javi Martel managed the youth side.

Ochieng immediately caught Martel's eye. "He told me, 'You have to see this kid; he's unbelievable.' We listened, watched him, and realized how much he stood out," Gaumet explains.

 "He had a great season with both the U18 B team and the División de Honor squad. He even played with our first team, which won the Preferente league. We played in the promotion playoffs to the Tercera División, and this kid, as a second-year youth player, was already making a mark among men, many of whom had played in Segunda B."

However, his arrival in Maspalomas was anything but smooth. The agency responsible for his transfer left him high and dry. "It was difficult," Gaumet admits.

 "On top of that, he arrived during the COVID season. I remember that both myself and the club president, Orlando Galindo, had to take responsibility for Job because the man who brought him over left him on the street with his suitcases after his parents couldn't make a monthly payment on their agreement."

"We had to take care of Job because the man who brought him over left him on the street with his suitcases after his parents couldn't make a monthly payment on their agreement."

CD Maspalomas stepped in, providing Ochieng with an apartment just five minutes from the training complex. "I remember picking him up and taking him to the pitch because the kid was all alone," Gaumet says.

"It wasn't easy for him. We gave him a job as a coach at the Maspalomas academy to help him financially," he notes. "He struggled a lot. Coming from an African country like Kenya, not speaking the language... Luckily, I speak English, so I could talk to him, which made our relationship more direct. When you show affection to a kid from abroad, they open up more, and that's what happened with me."

"He's a very introverted person; he finds it hard to socialise," Gaumet continues. "We've pushed him a bit in that regard, telling him, 'Job, you need to be more sociable,' but I understand. 

“You have to imagine being that age in another country, and the person who brings you there just leaves you on the street. It wasn't easy," concludes Gaumet, who is "proud" that Ochieng "has managed to move forward."

Recognising Ochieng's immense talent, Gaumet contacted an acquaintance, Mikel Aramayo, who worked for the Global Ases representation agency. "I sent them some videos, which they then passed on to Real Sociedad." 

This is how his move to San Sebastián and the subsequent partnership between the two clubs came to be. 

"They liked what they saw and told us they wanted to see the boy at Zubieta," Gaumet recalls. The trial didn't start perfectly, as Ochieng injured his ankle a week before his trip. "But the trial was a success. They saw his quality beyond the injury. He stayed there, they helped him recover, and they signed him to a two-year contract," explains Gaumet, who, by a twist of fate, is a lifelong Real Sociedad fan. 

"Despite my accent, I was born in San Sebastián, my whole family is from there, and I've supported La Real my entire life."

Javi Martel, a former youth coach, reflects on the journey of Job Nguono Achieng, a promising young talent who found his way to Real Sociedad after being overlooked by UD Las Palmas. "I told Luki Iriarte when all this happened: 'It's funny how things work out. This kid had to come all the way from Nairobi to fulfill my dream and everything I ever wanted in life.'"

Martel, who previously played for Las Palmas, knew he had a special player on his hands from the moment Ochieng started training under him. "I saw something different in him," he recalls. 

Despite being only 21, Martel is convinced of his potential: "He has all the qualities to be a professional footballer, without a doubt."

"He made a difference as soon as he arrived," Martel explains. "He has a great stride, and he thrives in end-to-end matches because he's so powerful. He's also very strong in the air. If you had to find a flaw, it would be that he was so gifted that he sometimes struggled with his defensive duties."

Before landing in San Sebastián, Achieng had a trial with Las Palmas. "He went for a preseason trial, but don't ask me why, he didn't make the cut," Martel says. "That's when the Real Sociedad option gained serious momentum."

Martel sees a clear path forward for his former protégé. "We're talking about one of Spain's biggest clubs in Real Sociedad, and that's not easy, but he will be a professional footballer, for sure. If not at Real, it won't be for a lack of talent, but perhaps a lack of opportunity—we know how this business works. But he will make it," he insists.

Reflecting on Ochieng's personality, Martel describes a quiet and focused young man. "He was very simple, kept to himself, very introverted. That's what happens when you leave home so young, all alone." Fortunately, he found a support system. 

"Luckily, we are very open and sociable here. Our delegate, Tino Diepas, was like a father to him. He helped him a lot, taking him home for meals and picking him up. He really acted as a father figure," Martel notes, highlighting the community that has supported a player destined for big things as he continues his journey.

Ochieng has gone on to even make his debut for Harambee Stars, and has now earned four caps for the main side since September under the tutelage of current coach Benni McCarthy.