The Harambee Stars defender's goalscoring performance against Lyon lands him in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week.
Stade de Reims defender Joseph Okumu has emerged as a standout performer in the French Ligue 1 earning a well-deserved spot in the Team of the Week.
Okumu’s stellar performance for the club against Lyon last Saturday was capped off with a maiden goal for the club, enabling him to become the second Kenyan after Dennis Oliech to bang them in in the French top flight.
With a standout rating of 8.1 on Sofascore, Okumu showcased his defensive prowess and composure on the pitch.
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STARS ABROAD The metrics showing why Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu is as good as William Saliba, Virgil Van Dijk and co
The metrics that indicate how Joseph Okumu is stylistically similar to some of the world's best defenders, such as Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate and PSG's Danilo Pereirra.
Okumu was part of a star-studded line up that also includes Monaco pair of Alexander Golovin and Folarin Balogun, as well as PSG’s Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnaruma and Portuguese midfielder Vitinha.
It is not the first time Okumu has received recognition from the website. In 2020, he was named in the Swedish top flight league team of the season, something he repeated as a player at Belgium’s AA Gent last season, a run of form which earned him a move to Will Still’s Reims.
This is now the third time he has made the team of the week.
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If he continues in his trajectory, he could even move to a bigger club that plays Champions League football on a regular basis, and the metrics are there to suggest it.
FB Ref has categorised him as stylistically similar to 10 other defenders in Europe, including Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, Paris St Germain’s Danilo Perreira - a Euro 2016 winner with Portugal- and AC Milan’s Malik Thiaw.
Looking ahead, Stade de Reims faces the challenge of taking on Nice, a team known for its attacking prowess and competitive spirit.
Okumu's presence in the lineup will undoubtedly be crucial as Reims seeks to maintain their momentum and continue their climb up the Ligue 1 table.
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