Nairobi United coach Godfrey ‘Solo’ Oduor has admitted that his side is feeling the absence of key winger Ovella Ochieng’ following their narrow 1-0 loss to AFC Leopards in the rescheduled SportPesa League clash at Nyayo Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The defeat, decided by Ugandan forward Samuel Ssenyonjo’s strike,his seventh goal of the season,marked Nairobi United’s seventh loss of the campaign and highlighted some of the attacking struggles the team has faced in recent matches.
Despite a fairly solid season for the league debutants, Oduor believes the prolonged absence of Ochieng’ has significantly disrupted their attacking rhythm.
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Nairobi United coach Godfrey Oduor highlights Ovella Ochieng’ absence after AFC Leopards defeat
“Honestly, we miss Ovella Ochieng’. Ovella is one of our key players on the wing, so missing such a player for almost two months is really worrying,”said the former Jamus head coach.
Ochieng’, a former AFC Leopards winger, has been sidelined for close to two months after undergoing surgery. His absence has left a noticeable gap on the flanks, where his pace, creativity and delivery had been central to Nairobi United’s attacking approach earlier in the season.
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Before his injury setback, the former Kariobangi Sharks Winger was enjoying an impressive run, scoring two goals and providing five assists in the league. At the time of his injury, he was leading the assists chart, underlining his importance as the team’s primary creator.
His understanding with striker Dancan Omala had also blossomed into one of the most dangerous attacking partnerships in the league. The duo combined effectively, with Ochieng’ supplying chances and Omala finishing them, giving Nairobi United a cutting edge in the final third.
However, injuries to both players at different stages have disrupted that chemistry. While Omala is now on the road to recovery, he is yet to regain full match fitness, having featured off the bench in the last two league matches.
“Omala is also coming back. He has not gotten fit to maybe play for 90 minutes, but we hope in future maybe we will have an opportunity to see the two of them starting again and also finishing maybe 90 minutes. So we keep on urging our doctors to work on them and also make sure they can be fit before the end of the league,” Oduor added.
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Omala has still managed to contribute four goals and two assists this season, despite his own injury challenges and his gradual return offers some encouragement for the technical bench.
Nairobi United currently sit ninth on the league table with 33 points from 22 matches, having registered nine wins, six draws, and seven losses. They have scored 27 goals and conceded 22, a record that reflects a relatively balanced campaign for a side in its debut top-flight season.
As the league enters its decisive phase, Oduor will be hoping for a timely boost in attack, particularly with the potential return of Ochieng’. Reuniting him with a fully fit Omala could be key to sharpening Nairobi United’s attacking edge as they aim to finish the season strongly.