Harambee Stars winger Job Ochieng took part in Real Sociedad’s first-team training session on Wednesday, November 12, as reported by Spanish publication Noticias de Gipuzkoa.
Ochieng was seen training at Zubieta just days after he withdrew from Kenya’s squad for the November international friendlies. The Harambee Stars technical bench had cited a minor “niggle” as the reason for his absence.
The training, held during the international break, saw head coach Imanol Alguacil call up several academy players to bolster a squad hit hard by injuries and international call-ups.
Key Real Sociedad players, including Ander Barrenetxea, Yangel Herrera, and Jon Aramburu, trained separately as they continued with their recovery programs. Others, such as Jon Karrikaburu, Ibrahima Camara, and Jon Martin, also missed the session, increasing Alguacil’s reliance on players from Real Sociedad B (Sanse).
Among the youth players drafted in were Unai Arana, Aitor Fraga, Peru Rodríguez, Jon Mariezkurrena, Iñaki Garro, Alex Beitia, Alberto Dadie, Bryan Fiabema, Dani Díaz, Ekain Azkune, Eneko Astigarraga — and notably, Job Ochieng.
Ochieng’s appearance raised eyebrows, especially since he had been named in the Harambee Stars squad for friendlies against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal before his withdrawal. Assistant coach Vasil Manousakis had earlier confirmed that Ochieng, along with Adam Wilson, Manzur Okwaro, Timothy Ouma, and Vincent Harper, would sit out due to “niggles” and fixture congestion.
His swift return to full training in Spain suggests the issue was minor, though neither the national team nor Real Sociedad has issued further clarification.
The episode also reflects a developing trend among Kenyan footballers based abroad, who are increasingly careful about injury management during busy European league schedules.