Cheche ponders next move from Saudi league
Harambee Stars defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng is uncertain over his future with Saudi Arabian club Al Tawuoon.
Cheche’s contract runs out at the end of June and he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal.
On Friday, after his team posted a come back from a 4-1 deficit to draw 4-4 with Al Khaleej in their last league match of the season, Cheche posted the following message on his Instagram account:
“Finally we have finished the league not in the position we expected but we gave it our all in all the matches from Al Orubah to Al Khaleej, our last match today. I would love to thank all the management, all of the technical staff, my team mates for a journey we fought together not forgetting our fans who have always supported the team. Finally I thank God, without him I could not be here.
“Nobody knows the future but all I know is this team Al Tawuoon FC has been my family for the two years I have been here. I’m really thankful and to all my fans and the club I say a big thank you, God bless you.”
This has fueled speculation as to the next destination of the defender who in an interview with Nairobi News said:
“I have not yet made a decision and we are still in talks with the club’s management. Maybe or maybe not I will be here next season but as per now, I don’t have a concrete answer to that question.”
THREE GOALS
Cheche has amassed a total of 2,250 minutes in both seasons he has been with the club.
He has scored three goals in all competitions and he only received four yellow cards in 51 matches.
Al Tawuoon fans on his Instagram account expressed their desire for him to stay and at least help the club secure an Asian Champions League place.
Cheche started his career at Nairobi Stima in the then Nationwide League, now known as FKF Premier League.
He then joined Tusker as a fringe player during Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo’s tenure and went on to become a starter in central defence following the departure of Brian Mandela to South Africa.
He however made a name for himself at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda in 2012 under the tutelage of stand-in coach James Nandwa when Kenya finished second to the hosts.
By the time Adal Amrouche took over the team coach, he had established himself a mainstay in the nationla team.