Harambee Stars' centre-back David "Cheche" Ochieng has expressed confidence in the potential of the newly assembled squad to thrive under head coach Engin Firat.
Ochieng, who is one of the players in the current squad with the most caps, said the Turkish gaffer possesses the mojo to propel the team to unprecedented heights given the pre-requisite foundation he has built in the past.
"The feeling in the camp is okay and everyone is pleased the coach has finally returned to link up with the squad. We played a few matches under him before many events happened that got us out of action for a while. The last fixture we honoured was against Rwanda," Ochieng said.
The Mathare United defender, who returned to the club at the beginning of the season after a stint with Posta Rangers, expressed joy at being included in the 30-man provisional squad.
"Every player benefits greatly from being called up to the national team because playing in the league is insufficient for one's football development. We are thrilled that the Harambee Stars are back in action because it is every player's dream to be a member of a successful national team," Ochieng said.
“Everyone aspires to represent their country. I've had the good fortune to do it more than 30 times, and I'll once more give it everything for our flag. This call-up is the result of my extremely hard work, even more so when I was unattached," he said.
With the right infrastructure in place, Ochieng predicted that the nation would gain significant traction on the international stage.
"In football, infrastructure is everything. Quality fields and an efficient system where coaches collaborate closely in the interest of developing local clubs and national teams are essential for Kenya to advance in football.
“Since Kenya still lags behind the nations I've visited in terms of football infrastructure, there is a lot of catching up to be done. Though I have no idea how long that will take, Ochieng expressed hope that it will happen soon enough.”
Ochieng last appeared for Kenya's national team in November 2021 against Rwanda. He has 35 caps for Kenya and two goals to his credit. He participated in the entire 2022 World Cup qualifier, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for the team in Nairobi. The last time Kenya played abroad was in that match before Fifa suspended the nation.
He has played for the Slum Boys in five games so far, helping them to impressive victories over historical heavyweights Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.