Harambee Stars defender becomes first Kenyan to win Egyptian Premier League title
By Joel Masibo, May 21, 2026Kenyan international defender Baron Ochieng celebrated his maiden trophy in Egypt after helping Zamalek SC secure the Egyptian Premier League title on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Although the 20-year-old did not feature in the matchday squad, he joined his teammates in the celebrations at Cairo International Stadium after Zamalek sealed their first domestic league triumph since 2022. The Cairo giants dethroned long-time rivals Al Ahly SC while also finishing ahead of Pyramids FC in the title race.
Decisive fixture
Coming into the decisive fixture shortly after their heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Algeria’s USM Alger in the CAF Confederation Cup final, Zamalek only required a draw to confirm the championship.
The team, coached by Moatemed Gamal, managed to secure maximum points against Ceramica Cleopatra FC thanks to an early breakthrough from Palestinian striker Oday Dabbagh, who scored in the eighth minute.
Zamalek thought they had doubled their advantage early in the second half, but a strike from Chico Banza was ruled out after the referee spotted a foul in the buildup.
The contest remained tense when Ceramica Cleopatra were awarded a penalty in the 56th minute, only for Spanish midfielder Ahmed Belhadji to fail from the spot.
Holding onto their slim lead until the final whistle, Zamalek captured their 15th league title and bounced back strongly from the continental disappointment suffered days earlier.
For Ochieng, who moved to Zamalek from Sofapaka FC in September 2025, the success marked the first trophy of his professional career. Videos shared online showed the former Kenya U20 assistant captain celebrating enthusiastically with teammates both on the field and inside the dressing room.
Elsewhere in Norway, Harambee Stars attacker Alfred Scriven completed the full match as Bryne FK suffered a 3-0 loss to Raufoss IL in an OBOS Ligaen clash at NAMMO Stadion.
The 28-year-old, who recently made headlines after being rewarded with five crates of eggs following an impressive display in Bryne’s 4-2 victory over Strømmen IF, was unable to add to his scoring tally as Bryne registered their fifth defeat of the campaign. The result left Byrne’s side hovering just above the relegation places in 13th position with seven points collected from eight matches.