Mathare United Midfielder Daniel Otieno Eager to Get Back On The Pitch

Daniel Okoth Otieno is looking forward to putting smiles back on the faces of Mathare United fans once the 2020/21 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season kicks off.

The attacking midfielder guided the Slum Boys to a respectable 8th position finish in the 2019/20 season which was called off by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) after the government enforced lockdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Expectations are high that KPL teams will return to training in coming days after Ministry of Sports’ Advisory Committee started mapping the way forward for sports resumption in Kenya.

Otieno is happy that safety protocols will soon be put into place and the opportunity to return something resembling a normal routine as he is raring to go back to the field.

“The pandemic has made me miss football. But despite hard times, I have been working on my fitness and I can’t wait to get back on the pitch,” he said in an interview with Ducor Sports.

As the 21-year-old continues to train from home, Otieno added he expects a tough season since most of the players in the league will not be fit enough.

“Next season will be hard because it’s been long since we kicked the ball,” the soft-spoken midfielder added.

His club, Mathare United, has been one of the top-flight outfits that are constantly in touch with their players to inquire about their fitness and well-being.

It’s worth noting that Kenyan Premier League clubs will be expected to do and submit Covid-19 tests as one of the key regulations that will be set by the Advisory Committee that was set by Ministry of Sports last week.

There will be around four months between the last game in the top-flight and the expected kick-off for the 2020/21 football season.