Sofapaka defender earns late call-up to Harambee Stars squad

Sofapaka right-back Baron Ochieng could well realise his dream of donning the Harambee Stars jersey earlier than expected after earning a late call-up to the national team.

The defender is the latest player to be included late into coach Engin Firat’s squad due to injuries and fitness issues in the backline and he will link up with the team in Lilongwe, Malawi ahead of Friday’s match against Burundi.

Kenya will take on Burundi on June 7 before facing ivory Coast four days later in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the Bingu National Stadium but Firat is faced with key selection dilemmas, especially in defence.

Ochieng’s inclusion adds competition in the right-back position where Daniel Anyembe and new call-up Tobias Knost had been the two specialists in the squad.

It will be a major milestone for Ochieng if he gets selected given his meteoric rise in the last six months.

He was part of Kenya’s U20 side at the Four Nations tournament in Malawi in March, that coming after a standout performance at the 2023 CECAFA Under-18 tournament.

His impressive displays in the CECAFA tournament even attracted scouts Spain's famed Nastic Soccer Academy which is home to some of his colleagues such as Aldrine Kibet.

Ochieng’s first brush with the national team came in 2020 when he featured for the Kenya U17 side while still a student at Dagoretti High School.

"I am looking forward to playing for the senior team. That has always been my dream. It is my wish to represent the country," Ochieng told Pulse Sports in May.

That opportunity has now arrived and it is up to him to impress his national team coach for his first crack at the big time.

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