Experienced Kenya Police defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng is the latest to earn a call-up to the Harambee Stars squad ahead of Tuesday’s crunch match against Ivory Coast.
Kenya Police defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng will join the Harambee Stars squad in Malawi after receiving a late call-up from coach Engin Firat.
Ochieng is set to strengthen Kenya’s defence for Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against African champions Ivory Coast at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
The defender is among the latest additions to the squad by Firat, joining Malawi-based Clyde Senaji and Kenya Police teammate David Okoth, who were also called up over the weekend.
Ochieng is a highly-experienced defender who was a key player under Firat before losing his spot in the team. His last appearance for Kenya came in June 2023 during the Four Nations tournament, where he played against Pakistan and Mauritius.
Despite not being regularly called up to the national team, Ochieng has maintained high performance levels at the club level and is expected to bolster the Kenyan defence, which is missing key players such as Joseph Okumu and Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma.
In Okumu’s absence, right-back Daniel Anyembe partnered with Johnstone Omurwa in central defence against Burundi but made a costly mistake that allowed the Swallows to secure an easy equaliser.
The Harambee Stars face the African champions with their backs against the wall after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burundi last week. A defeat to the Ivorians would severely hinder their path to World Cup qualification, leaving them eight points behind the group leaders after just four matches.
