At the recently concluded Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), Alphonce Otieno Omija stood tall and firm at the heart of Kenya’s defence, with the Harambee Stars making a historic run all the way to the quarter finals.
His performances, from the opening game against DR Congo at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani were superb, even as he cemented his place in the team.
Coupled with his previous matches, and how he was the heart of Gor Mahia’s defence, playing at the CHAN secured the defensive stalwart a move to Tunisian giants Étoile Sportive du Sahel, becoming the first Kenyan player to feature in the country’s top flight.
For the 22-year-old defender, the transfer is more than just a career step; it is a landmark that symbolizes both personal progress and a new frontier for Kenyan football.
Omija’s rise has been steady and determined. Born in Nairobi in 2002, he honed his craft at Gor Mahia Youth before breaking into the senior team in 2019. Stints at Kariobangi Sharks and Oman’s Dhofar FC followed, before he returned to Gor in 2024, where his assured performances further cemented his reputation as one of Kenya’s brightest defensive prospects.
His breakthrough moment came during the CHAN, where he stood out with commanding displays at the back, including a crucial headed goal against Madagascar in the quarterfinals.
Though Kenya’s run ended in heartbreak, Omija’s composure, aerial dominance and reading of the game drew attention from scouts far beyond East Africa, ultimately leading to his Tunisian adventure.
Étoile du Sahel’s interest offered Omija the chance to test himself at one of North Africa’s most successful clubs, a team renowned for its competitiveness in both domestic and continental competitions.
The Tunisian top flight is regarded as one of Africa’s most tactical and demanding leagues, and for Omija, it represents both a challenge and an opportunity to sharpen his skills on a bigger stage.
The defender has already made his debut, and speaks exclusively to Telecomasia.net from Sousse outlining his ambitions and dreams up in North Africa.
- How has it been so far playing in Tunisia, and especially Etoile?
- SO far so good. It has been a really great experience for me and I have learnt a lot in the few games I have played and short time I have been here. We have posted mixed results but you can see from how we are playing that this is a great team just taking off from the start of the season. I have started in all the games and I am delighted to have hit the ground running. The stadia have been full of life, matches have been very intensive and I like it so far.
- How does it feel to sign for a new team and what attracted you to make the move?
- Honestly this feels great to join such a team with massive history and one of the giants in African football. It is a massive step for me in my career and a challenge that any player would wish to have. The opportunity to compete at a tough league and the challenge it poses attracted me here. As a player, I want to compete with the best and this is exactly it.
- Etoile are regular contenders in the Tunisian League and also CAF competitions, how are you ready for this kind of challenge?
- This is a club that has won both the Champions League and Confederation Cup and so they are not pushovers. Their expectation is also huge. This is a great challenge for any player because you always want to replicate history. The last time they won the Champions League was in 2007 and I also want to try and leave my name in such kind of history. These are the moments we prayed for and now the onus is left on me just to work hard and achieve everything.
- What are your targets with the team?
- The target definitely is to be a Champion withy ESS. We are competing in the Premier League, the Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup and if we can be champions in one of them, then I will have achieved a huge piece of my ambition. I believe we have the ability looking at the team we have. We are building up into the new season and already there’s some good chemistry in the team. I am confident that at the end of the season we will have something to celebrate about.
- You have previously played in Oman, which has a similar profile to Tunisia in terms of culture and language. Does this give you a good headstart?
- Yes definitely. There are so many similarities between Oman and here in terms of culture, food, people, weather and even the language, though here is a bit more leaning towards French. Arabic is however widely spoken. So that gives me a bit of an edge in terms of settling down and fitting in. I am slowly learning the French though and soon I will be able to fluently speak. But yeah, playing in Oman has been a huge advantage for me coming to Tunisia.
- You played for a season at Gor after returning from Oman, how do you think you did and how important was it to play for such a big team?
- Playing at Gor for that one season really helped to shape me. It is a big club with a lot of demands not just from the coaches and management but from the fans as well. It is the same here in Tunisia with Etoile because the fans are always demanding for results so coming from a similar place will make my experience here a bit easier.
- How did your performance at CHAN give you an edge to secure this move?
- I believe it played a major role in helping me secure this move because from matchday one to the last I gave absolutely 100 percent. It was a big platform that gave an opportunity to scouts from different teams to watch players. I believe it played a massive role in me moving here to Tunisia.
- Do you believe Kenya hosting CHAN opened up a door for many players to make career advancements?
- Absolutely. I believe it opened Kenyan football to the outside world. The way the fans turned up in large numbers in the games showed the world that Kenyan football is huge and this now translated to a bit of attention given to the players. You have seen some of us have already moved like Ryan (Ogam) going to Austria and there are many more who will move in the coming window. Kenya hosting CHAN was a huge blessing for us as footballers and we are really grateful. I believe just because of this tournament, more players will move because now the rest of the world has seen that there is talent in the country.
- What are your future ambitions especially with the national team now that you have joined such a big club with lots of history?
- This will definitely help me step up my game and my competitiveness and will be a massive boost for my national team career. I want to work harder to become a regular and then slowly win a permanent starting role. With the display we had in CHAN, we showed everyone what we can do and now joining a big club will help me push more to develop and earn trust with the coaches.
