How Onyango made his way into Sharks starting team

Kariobangi Sharks centre back Joshua Onyango believes that his double training sessions in the recent weeks compelled coach William Muluya to hand him his debut last weekend. 

Onyango made his first Sharks start during their last Sunday Football Kenya Federation Cup round of sixteen tie against KCB at the Utalii grounds, partnering Geoffrey Shiveka at the heart of the defence. 

The towering defender joined Sharks in February from Western Stima but competition in the department had reduced him to a bench warmer only for lady luck to visit him on Sunday.

The former student at Dagoretti High School disclosed that after the normal training sessions with the team, he had been going the extra mile in the evening to boost his fitness an initiative which Muluya appreciated by giving him his maiden start.

"I was in good shape ahead of the match owing to my last week's double training session. After the routine session with my teammates, I would go the extra mile in the gym and road work just to be ready in case the coach summons me for duty. The hard work paid off as I was given my first ever start after four months of waiting," he said. 

Prior to joining Sharks, Onyango had made five league starts for Western Stima whom he joined in 2018 after school.

Meanwhile the club will be without their first choice goalkeeper Brian Bwire for the next two weeks thanks to a shoulder injury picked in training. 

The shoulder setback has seen the Harambee Stars trialist make endless trips to the treatment room in recent times leaving Brandon Obiero and Brian Olang'o to jostle for the starting roles.

The injury forced Bwire to pull out the Stars camp ahead of the final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifier double back in March hence denying him the opportunity to fight for a chance of making his senior team debut. 

"Bwire will be out for at least two weeks after he felt some discomfort in his shoulder again. In as much as we miss his experience, the other two goalkeepers are always ready to play," revealed the club's goalkeepers' trainer Dick Francis.