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Harambee Stars defender earns special praise from Tunisian coach
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 21.10.25. | 20:54
The former Gor Mahia man signed for the club in September but has been a consistent starter
Etoile Sportive du Sahel coach Mohamed Ali Nafkha believes Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija will be an important player for his side as they seek to win titles in what is the club’s 100-year anniversary.
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Nafkha, speaking shortly after Etoile’s 2-0 defeat to Nairobi United in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round, voiced his admiration for the Kenyan, who joined the club early last month.
“He is an important player for us,” Nafkha, a former defensive midfielder for Etoile, said of Omija. “He is an international player, so he is very important for us.”
On the former Gor Mahia man’s progress since signing with the club, Nafkha added: “He has started well with us, so we have five or six games now.
He is a very good player with a good mentality. He captained the national team at CHAN (Africa Nations Championship), and so he has really tried to help us.”
On Sunday, Omija made his continental debut for Etoile, playing the full 90 minutes, and has been a starter for most of the Red & White's matches.
Though facing a language barrier, the 23-year-old, in a separate interview, said he would rate his adaptation at the club at 6.5 to 7.
He is expected to be a key player once more as Etoile seeks to overturn their deficit to Nicholas Muyoti’s side on Sunday, 26 October at a fully-packed Stade Olympique de Sousse.
Speaking about the return leg, Nafkha said: “We must react in Tunisia. We will do everything to be ready. We will try to be 100 - 200 per cent to win this qualifier.”
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