Tusker FC central defender Alex Onchwari has expressed gratitude after making his debut last weekend against KCB following a seven-month wait since he signed with the 12-time Kenya Premier League champions.
Onchwari, who stepped in for the injured Tom Teka, helped Tusker secure a point on Sunday while also maintaining a clean sheet, bringing the team’s total to six clean sheets as they continue their bid for the topflight title.
After being given the golden opportunity by Charles Okere, the former Muhoroni Youth player expressed joy and remains positive about continuing to improve in order to get more chances to play for the club.
“I am incredibly thankful to have finally been given this chance to play. I am grateful to the technical bench for believing in me and giving me the opportunity.
I have been waiting for this moment for so long, and it is finally here. I will keep working hard to make sure I stay in the team,” Onchwari told the club’s media.
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The former Zoo man further stated that despite not getting to play since signing with the club, he has always remained positive and knew his chance would eventually come.
“I always knew my chance would come eventually and I never gave up. Even when I wasn’t getting minutes. I stayed patient and never had any regrets. I kept working hard and staying ready for whenever I was needed,” he added.
Reflecting on the match against KCB, he stated that playing for ninety minutes and securing a clean sheet is something every defender always wants.
“Playing 90 minutes and contributing to a clean sheet—something that is so important for defenders—is a huge motivation for me to keep pushing forward.”
“This is huge for me. February is my birthday month, and at the start of the month, I prayed for it to be a great one. And what better way to kick it off than with my first match for Tusker FC?”
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Okere showered Onchwari with praise for playing as expected and following his instructions.
“Congratulations to Onchwari and the whole team because we attack as a team and we defend as a team. The key thing is that he played according to the instructions. In life, if you follow instructions, life becomes easier. Today, he enjoyed the game, played well, and defended well,” Okere stated.
“Onchwari is a resilient player after waiting for 18 matches without playing. Today, he played 90 minutes strongly, which is an encouragement for him, as he has been training well.”
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