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"Reward for hard work": Kenya Police defender Brian Okoth speaks after maiden Harambee Stars call up
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 21.05.24. | 09:26
The defender announced his arrival in the top tier in February 2022 in the ill-tempered clash between Gor Mahia and Vihiga Bullets
Fast-rising Kenya Police centre-back Brian Okoth is delighted to have secured his first Harambee Stars call-up barely three months after joining the club and in his third year in the top tier.
Okoth was included in the Stars' 25-man provisional squad for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast.
Kenya will host Burundi on June 7 at the Bingu National Stadium in Malawi before traveling to Abidjan for a clash with African champions four days later.
Out of the five new players summoned to the team by coach Engin Firat, only Okoth plays in the local league.
Reacting to the news of his inclusion in the team, the left-footed centre-back says he is glad his performance on the pitch didn’t go unnoticed.
“I am happy to receive my first national team call-up less than three years since my top-flight debut. Getting a slot in the national team is a dream come true. I consider it a reward for the hard work I have been putting at club level,” he said.
Okoth, a fourth-year student at the Masinde Muliro University pursuing a Bachelor of Public Relations and Advertising made his top-flight bow in February 2022 with Vihiga Bullets.
Brian Okoth- FC Talanta
— Meshack Kisenge (@kisengemeshack1) May 16, 2023
Joined Talanta in the mid-season transfer window from Vihiga Bullets.
He is in his first season in the top flight.
Arrived at Bullets last year from Homa Bay Prisons FC
Passed through Home Bay based Aspire Academy.
Good in making long passes. pic.twitter.com/AsdTDkGQ21
Before joining Bullets, who have since been dropped to the second tier, he featured for Homa Bay Prisons and Shaviringa United.
He left Bullets in January last year for FC Talanta, a move that he says, exposed him to better opportunities as it was the club that the demand for his services shot up.
He hopes that the Stars call-up will lay a solid foundation for his bid to turn professional in the future.
“The progress I have made since joining the top tier is an indication that I am on the right path and on course to achieve my career dreams. Apart from winning titles with Police, I hope to make my national team debut and became a regular figure in the team. This will certainly open bigger doors in the future,” added the Aspire Academy (Homa Bay-based) graduate.
Okoth will enjoy the company of his teammates; Patrick Matasi and Abud Omar in the Stars camp.
The trio of Charles Ouma, Rashid Toha, and Tito Okello who all play for Police have been called to the South Sudan national team.
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