Tusker's Ryan Ogam relishing Harambee Stars maiden call-up

Ogam was among the new 11 players that had been called to join Harambee Stars for a crucial CHAN qualifier return-leg match against South Sudan which ended in 1-1 in Kampala, Uganda.

Despite not making it to the bench for the return leg in Uganda, he says he was ready to give his best to reward the confidence Firat had shown in him, adding that if he is given a chance in the near future, he will leave an indelible mark at the national team.

The forward is having a dream start with the Brewers having from National Super League (NSL) side Rainbow FC and he has five league goals under his name, with his tally making him joint-top scorer alongside Francis Kahiro of KCB FC after eight rounds.

“It’s a dream come true, every player has a dream of playing for their national team. Having given my best in the last four outings this season, here are the results and I would really love to thank Firat [Engin] and his technical bench for giving me this chance,” Ogam told Citizen Digital.

“I have played at the junior level before and this is the first time I am with the seniors. It is every player’s dream to play for the national team and I feel delighted to receive this honour. It was one of my targets when the season started, and I am delighted to have achieved it.”

“Honestly I was not surprised, it was one of my targets when I signed for Tusker and I knew that one day it would come, it was just a matter of time. You can’t turn down such an opportunity because it exposes you to clubs abroad. I hope to work harder to get more call-ups., I can take the next big step in my career,” Ogam added.

Ogam’s exceptional form at the club level has been hard to ignore. He has scored five goals in just four matches for Tusker, a feat even more remarkable given that he missed three games due to an injury.

Upon his return to the pitch last weekend, he immediately made his presence felt by scoring twice in a narrow 3-2 loss to KCB, further solidifying his reputation as one of Kenya's most promising forwards.

“This is a massive platform and I want to thank my team Tusker FC, teammates, coaches, and management because without their support I would not be here,” he added.

The in-form striker who can also play as an attacking midfielder, says he was inspired by the inclusion of Tusker captain Charles Momanyi in the starting XI and combative midfielder Chrispine Erambo, now a Harambee Stars regular. A move that he added that has fuelled his dream of playing for the national team regularly.

Erambo, 19, was first named in the final squad that won the Four Nations Tournament in April, in Malawi.

“Playing with him [at Tusker] has brought the best out of me. We have had a solid partnership and his experience in the national team has helped us build a good relationship. He keeps on pushing me and I can attribute this call-up to him," acknowledged the 19 year-old.

“His words of encouragement have always kept me going since I joined the club in the transfer window and my biggest hope is to someday play alongside him in the national team the way we do at the club level. He has immensely contributed to my goal scoring spree”, he acknowledged.

Kenya has already secured a direct ticket to the CHAN tournament by virtue of playing host alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Ogam is promising to continue his scoring form for him to make the final squad that will take part in the second biggest showpiece in the continent.