Otieno patiently waiting for Ghost Mulee's call

With the 2022 World Cup qualifiers beckoning, rugged Bandari central defender Brian Otieno is anticipating that coach Jacob ‘Ghost ‘Mulee will bring him back to the fold.

Otieno was handed his maiden Harambee Stars call up in September 2019 for friendly match against Uganda replacing the Sweden based Joseph Okumu who was left out to concentrate on club duties.

He however did not make it to the match day squad which battled Cranes to a one all draw at the Kasarani Stadium.

Having missed the opportunity to confront the neighbors, Otieno is praying that lady luck will visit him this time round and be among the players selected to confront the neighbors in the opening match slated for the first weekend of June.

Kenya is placed in pool E of the qualifiers alongside Mali and Rwanda.

The former Nzoia Sugar man avers that his performances before the suspension of sporting activities will meet kind consideration from Ghost who showed faith in local based players in the recent Fifa international break.

Prior to the presidential decree, Otieno, a former student at Ambira Boys had missed one match out of the sixteen the dockers had played.

“I believe that the door to the national team is wide open and I will be among those who will walk through it during the qualifiers. The local based players who graced the final rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers represented us well and I am hoping to be in the mix this time round,” he said.

The 2019 third best defender of the year has been a mainstay in the Bandari backline since joining from Nzoia Sugar in 2018.

He credits his rise to playing alongside the experienced Felly Mulumba and Bernard Odhiambo whom he hailed for helping him master the art of defending over the years.

"My game has been on an upward trajectory considering that I am always paired with seasoned defenders. I have learnt a lot from them for the years I have been at Bandari," he added.