Job Ochieng believes his remarkable performance for Real Sociedad against Elche is only the beginning after the Harambee Stars forward scored his first La Liga goal and provided two assists in Monday night’s dramatic 3-2 victory.
The 23-year-old Kenyan, who was making his first senior start of the La Liga season, played a decisive role in all three Sociedad goals and was named the official Man of the Match.
“Now it’s time to continue and work. This isn’t the end; hopefully, it’s just the beginning,” Ochieng said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, maintaining his focus on improvement despite a display that earned widespread praise.
He opened the scoring in the 11th minute, meeting Carlos Soler’s chipped delivery with a powerful right-footed volley to register his first goal in Spain’s top flight. “I am very happy with the goal and with the team’s victory. It is a special moment for me, but I know there is still a lot of work to do,” he said.
The winger was involved again in the 32nd minute when he dispossessed Pedro Bigas and quickly set up Yangel Herrera, who doubled Sociedad’s advantage.
Elche responded after the interval and took advantage of Sociedad being reduced to 10 men, eventually cancelling out the visitors’ two-goal lead.
Despite the mounting pressure, Ochieng was involved in Sociedad’s attacking play and produced the decisive contribution deep into stoppage time.
He picked out Luka Sučić, who converted the opportunity to give Sociedad a 3-2 victory and complete an extraordinary individual performance for the Kenyan.
“We knew it was going to be difficult because we were playing with one player less, but we stayed together and continued fighting until the final whistle,” Ochieng said.
The display also earned him a place in Real Sociedad’s record books. At 23 years and 233 days, he became the youngest Sociedad player since Alexander Isak in 2021 to record three direct goal contributions in a single La Liga match. His goal also made him only the second Kenyan to score in La Liga after Michael Olunga, who found the net for Girona in 2018.
For Ochieng, the achievement comes after several years of hard work since leaving Kenya as a teenager. He began his football development at Ligi Ndogo Academy in Nairobi before moving to Spain at 17 to join Club Deportivo Maspalomas.
His early years in Spain were difficult, with financial and logistical challenges forcing him to dig deep as he pursued his football ambitions.
“I have gone through many difficult moments, but those experiences have made me stronger and taught me to appreciate every opportunity that comes my way,” he said.
Ochieng joined Real Sociedad in August 2022 and worked his way through the club’s C and B teams before earning an opportunity with the senior side.
Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has encouraged him to trust his ability and make full use of the qualities that have taken him this far.
“The coach told me to be myself, to believe in my qualities and to help the team with what I can do best,” Ochieng said.
That confidence was evident against Elche as he used his pace, movement and technical ability to trouble the home defence throughout the contest.
Even after receiving the Man of the Match award, however, Ochieng was keen to stress that the result mattered more than his individual contribution.
“For me, the most important thing is always the team. Of course, I am happy to have scored and assisted, but the three points were the biggest thing,” he said.
The performance comes at an opportune time for the forward, who is expected to link up with Harambee Stars for international duty. His growing involvement at Sociedad provides Kenya with another attacking option ahead of the national team’s forthcoming assignments.
Ochieng knows that one outstanding night will not be enough to establish himself at the highest level. He now wants to build consistency and continue learning from the demands of Spanish football. “I don’t want to stop here. I want to keep improving, keep learning and keep working hard every day,” he said.
He also understands the intensity of La Liga and the level of concentration required to compete against quality opposition week after week.
“La Liga is very demanding. You have to stay focused, because every game is difficult and every opponent has quality,” Ochieng said.
From his early days at Ligi Ndogo to becoming only the second Kenyan to score in La Liga, Ochieng’s latest performance represents a significant personal milestone. But the forward insists he is not satisfied with what he has achieved so far.
His message after the Elche victory was clear: the goal and three-goal contribution were important, but the bigger target is sustained progress with Real Sociedad and Harambee Stars.
