Obiero: Stima spell was hell for me

The sandy and sunny beaches of the Kenyan coast are normally associated with leisure and chilling. The good life, sort of, where most people go to unwind after laborious work. That was however not the way current Kariobangi Sharks goalkeeper Brandon Obiero found it to be after signing for Mombasa-based side Coast Stima last year before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.

Before moving to Mombasa, the keeper had run down his 2-year contract at BIdco United – at the time playing in the National Super League - and upon noticing no intention by the club to renew his contract, the goalkeeper signed for the coastal outfit, an experience that was a very first in his budding career and not a good one, especially for him.

“My stay at Coast Stima was an experience to forget. The very first day in training I felt dizzy until the medical team told me to sit out and relax. I could not sleep at all and adapting to the climate was very hard for me. The only relief was that I did not stay there for a long time and anytime we had a game away, we were on the move as from Thursday,” he said.

As fate would have it for Brandon, his dreaded stay in Mombasa would not last that long after all. After signing, he only played around four games before covid-19 hit the country consequently imposing a suspension on all sporting activities and a premature conclusion to the 2019/2020 Football Kenya Federation associated leagues, something that saw Brandon move back home to Nairobi.

By the time sports was given the green light to resume in the country, Brandon, thankfully, did not return to Mombasa as Kariobangi Sharks rescued him from his torment. Three months after signing with Sharks, the former Bidco shot-stopper was handed what would be his debut at the top flight level against Vihiga United in February this year, an opportunity he grabbed with both hands, literally.

He saved a penalty in the 53rd minute with the game level at 0-0 to prevent Vihiga United from breaking the deadlock, handing his team a fighting chance in the game as league top scorer Erick Kapaito scored the solitary winning goal of the game with just seven minutes left on the clock.

“It was a dream debut for me,” he reminisced.

Since his top-flight debut, the keeper went on to make three more consecutive league appearances, conceding only one goal in four games and never losing any match between the sticks before the season was suspended for the second time on 26th March.

And now that the season is tentatively set to resume and with Brian Bwire breathing down his neck for a starting berth, Brandon is once again ready to challenge for his place.

“I think the competition will be good for us. Because it pushes you to get the very best out of yourself. The moment you are at your best, that is when you experience good things and to perform at your best,” he concluded.