David Ochieng Ready For 'Big Step In Career' With The Cosmos

Photo credit: Timothy Olubulu

David Ochieng has certainly been well-traveled in the early part of his career. Starting out in his native Kenya, Ochieng now moves to the New York Cosmos via Saudi Arabia.

He spent two seasons with the Saudi club Al-Taawon after getting spotted playing with the Kenyan national team.

“I got there because there was a coach that came to watch a friendly match against Morocco,” Ochieng told NASL. “He saw me and asked if I’d join the team in Saudi Arabia.”

Ochieng, 23, now slots into a Cosmos back line that could he provide an instant impact. He has, so far, settled in well at his new club.

“The dynamic is good,” he said of the relationship with the other defenders. “First of all, all the players help each other. When you’re a new player you want to come to a place that is welcoming and helping you settle into the team. That will help a lot with the chemistry.”

Ochieng, though, has yet to take in the sights that comes with a move to a city like New York. Instead, he is focused solely on the task at hand: the NASL season.

“I’m going to enjoy playing first and then I’ll see the city,” Ochieng said.

Joining the defending NASL Champion, Ochieng knows the pressures that come with it. The Cosmos will have a target on their back throughout 2016.  

“If I get a chance I’m expecting to play well,” he said. “Because it’s a team that won the championship, every team this season will come with energy and it will be like a final.”

While Ochieng has certainly logged plenty of air miles, his feet are firmly planted in New York to take on his new opportunity.

“It’s a big step in my career,” he added.