Harambee Stars forward hungry for more game time after stunning La Liga display

Harambee Stars forward Job Ochieng has admitted he is hungry for more first-team opportunities at Real Sociedad after producing a standout display in Monday night’s thrilling 3-2 La Liga victory over Elche.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe 23-year-old attacker was the star of the show at the Martínez Valero, scoring the opener in the 11th minute, before setting up Yangel Herrera for Sociedad’s second, and Luka Sučić for the dramatic winner deep into stoppage time.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945405##His influential display earned him the Man of the Match award, and marked a major breakthrough for the youngster, who graduated from Real Sociedad’s academy and featured for the club’s reserve side, commonly known as Sanse.Despite his heroics, Ochieng insists he is not yet satisfied with his progress, and believes regular minutes are crucial to establishing himself at the highest level.Former KCB forward explains why he ditched Kenyan league for South Africa's PSLSpeaking to Radio Marca after the match, the Kenyan international admitted he still does not consider himself a fully established top-flight player.“Not yet, not yet. I don’t feel a top division player yet. There’s still a lot to do and hopefully, I can get more minutes to bridge the gap,” Ochieng said.The Elche encounter was only his second start in five appearances for Sociedad this season. He was an unused substitute in the opening-day clash against Real Betis, before making his breakthrough against Real Madrid, where he impressed during a cameo appearance.STARS ABROAD: Ouma benched in Charlton draw as Tegisi features in TanzaniaHe subsequently saw limited involvement against Espanyol and Celta Vigo before being handed another starting opportunity against Elche.Ochieng has now accumulated 156 minutes of La Liga football this season, including 66 minutes against Real Madrid, as he continues to compete for a more permanent place in the Sociedad starting eleven.While pushing for more playing time, the former Sanse attacker described his performance against Elche as a dream come true.Harambee Stars defender to play under new coach at Polish club“I’m very, very happy because we got the three points, and also because of the goal. It was an important goal. I also played a lot of minutes and did everything: score, run and everything overall. Yeah, it’s a dream come true,” he said.The performance was even more impressive given that Ochieng battled through calf cramps during the second half.“I don’t know where the strength came from because by the 70th minute my calves were cramping up. Then, after five minutes, the pain was gone and I kept going,” he revealed.Ochieng also attributed his slow start to the season to a sluggish pre-season, but believes his confidence has grown considerably since the Madrid encounter.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945933##“I think I started this pre-season a little slow, and that explains my slow start to the season, but after the Madrid game I started to gain confidence,” he added.Ochieng will now hope his Elche heroics earn him another starting berth when Real Sociedad host Atlético Madrid at the Reale Arena on Sunday, 13 September.

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