This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
Published on December 16, 2019, Philemon 'Mbish' Otieno, a key utility player for Gor Mahia, is on the road to recovery from a long injury lay-off.
Having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Harambee Stars in a Africa Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier against Tanzania in August, Otieno had started training with the team before the ongoing strike began.
However, with the strike now in effect, Otieno continues to train alone and attend gym sessions with his physiotherapist.
According to Otieno, his rehabilitation is almost complete, and he is eager to return to the pitch in January.
"I'm on the recovery path and it is almost done. I will be ready to play for Gor Mahia in January since I had been training with the team before the strike but now I'm continuing on my own. It has been a long time and I'm really yearning to be back to play football," Otieno said.
Despite the challenges he faced during his treatment, including a period where he had to turn to his family and friends to raise money for his knee surgery, Otieno remains focused on reviving his career.
"It was a tough time but I don't want to talk about it because I'm focused on reviving my career. Issues will always arise in football but that doesn't mean I lose hope and abandon my talent. I have a passion for the game and my focus is to help Gor Mahia bag the Kenya Premier League title," he added.
On the ongoing crisis at Gor Mahia concerning salary arrears, Otieno urged the players and the club hierarchy to reach a consensus and move forward as a team.
