Job Ochieng
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Job Nguono Ochieng | ||
| Date of birth | 17 January 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Real Sociedad | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2020–2022 | Maspalomas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Maspalomas | 8 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Real Sociedad C | 8 | (0) |
| 2023–2026 | Real Sociedad B | 65 | (10) |
| 2026– | Real Sociedad | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Kenya | 5 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 March 2026 | |||
Job Nguono Ochieng (born 17 January 2003) is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a forward for Real Sociedad and the Kenya national team.
Early life
[edit]Born in Nairobi, Ochieng began his career with local sides PCEA Lang’ata School and Express Soccer Academy.[1] In 2020, aged 17, with the aid of family members and neighbors, he traveled to the Canary Islands to join a local football school in exchange for a monthly fee of € 1,200. The arrangement agency subsequently collapsed, but Ochieng managed to impress during a trial at Maspalomas.[2]
After impressing at Maspalomas, Ochieng also spent a period on trial at Las Palmas.[3]
Club career
[edit]In 2022, Ochieng went on a trial at Real Sociedad, and signed for the club's C-team shortly after. However, he struggled with injuries which prevented him from playing until February 2023, when he debuted for the C's by starting in a 1–0 Segunda Federación home win over Alavés B.[4]
Promoted to the reserves for the 2023–24 season, Ochieng was mainly a backup option as the side achieved promotion to Segunda División in 2025. He made his professional debut on 17 August of that year, starting and scoring the winner in a 1–0 home win over Zaragoza.[5]
Ochieng made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 7 February 2026, coming on as a second-half substitute for Gonçalo Guedes in a 3–1 home win over Elche;[6] he became the third Kenyan to feature in the division, behind McDonald Mariga and Michael Olunga.[7] Thirteen days later, he renewed his contract with the Txuri-urdin until 2028.[8]
In August 2026, Ochieng was definitely promoted to the first team of Real Sociedad, being assigned the number 12 jersey.[9]
International career
[edit]Ochieng made his debut with the Kenya national team in August 2025.
Style of play
[edit]Ochieng can play as a forward or as a winger. Spanish newspaper La Provincia described him as a "fast forward, with goal-scoring skills, good ball handling with both legs and good dribbling. He is physically powerful, with a great capacity for defensive sacrifice".[10]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 26 August 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Maspalomas | 2020–21[11] | Interinsular Preferente | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22[12] | Interinsular Preferente | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | |||||
| Real Sociedad C | 2022–23 | Segunda Federación | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Real Sociedad B | 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Primera Federación | 21 | 1 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2025–26 | Segunda División | 25 | 9 | — | — | — | 25 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 65 | 10 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 67 | 10 | ||||
| Real Sociedad | 2025–26 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2026–27 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 84 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 11 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in 2025 Primera Federación play-offs
International
[edit]- As of match played 27 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Job Ochieng: From Nairobi Dust to La Liga Success". Kenya Sport. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "La historia de Ochieng, el jugador de la Real que salió de África gracias a un 'crowdfunding' y que es titular contra el Real Madrid" [The story of Ochieng, the Real player who left Africa thanks to a 'crowdfunding' and who is a starter against Real Madrid] (in Spanish). Marca. 26 August 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Job Nguono Ochieng cumple su sueño en la Real tras quedarse tirado en Maspalomas: "Estaba con su maleta en la calle"" [Job Nguono Ochieng fulfils his dream at Real [Sociedad] after being stranded in Maspalomas: "He was on the street with his suitcase"] (in Spanish). Relevo. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ↑ "La increíble historia de Ochieng" [Ochieng's incredible story] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "El Sanse regresa con golazo y victoria en Anoeta a costa del Zaragoza" [Sanse return with a great goal and a win at Anoeta at the expense of Zaragoza] (in Spanish). Marca. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "El keniano Ochieng, primer canterano al que Matarazzo hace debutar" [The Kenyan Ochieng, first youth player to make a debut with Matarazzo] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ochieng elated after making Kenyan History in La Liga debut". The Star. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Renueva hasta 2028" [Renews until 2028] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ochieng se queda con el '12' y a Karrikaburu y Goti también adjudican dorsales, el '19' y el '22'" [Ochieng ends up with the '12' and Karrikaburu and Goti also have numbers, the '19' and the '22'] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 20 August 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "El sueño cumplido de Ochieng" [Ochieng's dream come true] (in Spanish). La Provincia. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ↑ "Ochieng, Job Nguono | Liga Preferente Interinsular, Grupo 1 | Temporada 2020–21" (in Spanish). Las Palmas Inter-Island Football Federation. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ochieng, Job Nguono | Liga Preferente Interinsular, Grupo 1 | Temporada 2021–22" (in Spanish). Las Palmas Inter-Island Football Federation. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Job Ochieng at BDFutbol
- Job Ochieng at Soccerway
- Job Ochieng at National-Football-Teams.com
- 2003 births
- Living people
- Kenyan men's footballers
- Kenya men's international footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Segunda División players
- Primera Federación players
- Segunda Federación players
- Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol players
- Real Sociedad C footballers
- Real Sociedad B footballers
- Kenyan expatriate men's footballers
- Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Footballers from Nairobi
- 21st-century Kenyan sportsmen