Sichenje named Man of the Match on his Charlton Athletic Championship debut
By Luke Oluoch, February 22, 2026Collins Sichenje has been named as the Charlton Athletic Man of the Match from the team’s 1-1 draw against Southampton on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at St Mary’s Stadium.
The Kenyan made his debut for the Addicks, lasting for the 90 minutes in what went down as a game mixed with contrasting fortunes for the defender.
Carey Sonny scored the equaliser in the 70th minute as Nathan Jones’s side salvaged a point after going down when Stewart found the net with a wonderful flicked header, giving Thomas Kaminski no chance.
Sichenje won overwhelmingly with nearly 90% of the votes, edging out goalscorer Carey, Greg Docherty, and Lloyd Jones.
His win was in no small part due to Kenyan fans flooding the online poll on the club’s portal following the game to vote for the debutant.
Kenyans following Sichenje
The Kenyan fans have been keeping tabs on his progress at London, with the club’s social media handles registering a huge increase in the number of followers shortly after the defender’s arrival on the final day of the January transfer window.
With Nathan Jones setting up his team in a defensive shape for the clash against his former promotion play-off hopefuls, Charlton’s defence had their work cut out with a massive test in the evening.
He was deployed in a right wing-back role to leverage his defensive capabilities as Jones went for a three-man defense line.
Early exchanges
However, much of the clash was at the centre half, with Saints dominating the Addicks in large spells of the tie.
Pitted against the Brazilian, Leo Scienza, who proved a handful for the Kenyan in the early exchanges—and once beat him with a cheeky nutmeg—Sichenje was prompted to commit a foul
His evening came to an end at the 90-minute mark, just before he was forced off due to a hamstring issue, with Harry Clarke coming on.
Reactions
Charlton ultimately stood firm in the face of the pressure to pick up a vital point on the road.
Speaking after the clash, he stated that he was ready for the test after being named in the team’s line-up for the three games, adding that he always believed in his capabilities.
‘It feels amazing to be on the pitch and help the team to get a very big point for us. I always believe in myself, and I was ready to take on the game and defend against anyone. I am always ready for what is thrown at me,” he stated.
Sichenje and the Addicks now shift focus to visiting West Brom on February 24, 2026. Charlton will then conclude their month’s campaign with a home clash against Wrexham,