As the 2024 African Nations Championship fast approaches, optimism is running high in the Harambee Stars’ camp. At the heart of this excitement is Tusker FC’s prodigious forward, Ryan Ogam, who has earned the confidence of Kenyan national team coach Benni McCarthy. With the tournament set to kick off on August 2nd, McCarthy’s vocal support for the 20-year-old striker has energised both fans and pundits. Especially after comparing Ogam to Kenyan football icon Michael Olunga.
Coach McCarthy has tipped Ogam to fill the void left by outgoing top scorers Moses Shumah and Emmanuel Osoro. Both Shumah and Osoro completed high-profile moves to Zambia’s Power Dynamos, rendering them ineligible for CHAN. As a result, all eyes turn to Ogam, the next in line among Kenyan league sharpshooters.
McCarthy praised the striker’s pace, sharp instincts, and powerful left foot. He sees him as an important member of this team, who can even become the next Michael Olunga one day.
Breakout Campaign Fuels Expectations
Ogam’s meteoric rise began at the start of the 2024/25 FKF Premier League season. He actually switched from a defensive midfield role at Rainbow FC to spearhead Tusker’s attack. He stunned the league by netting 15 goals in just 13 games, before a knee injury briefly sidelined him. Despite his limited appearances, Ogam’s output secured him a place atop the league’s scoring charts and a call-up for the CHAN squad.
McCarthy has made clear his intent to build the Harambee Stars’ attack around Ogam during the tournament. Challenging him to develop his weaker right foot and increase his unpredictability in front of the goal. The ex-Manchester United coach believes that, with the right guidance, Ogam could follow in Olunga’s European footsteps.
Kenya, co-hosting CHAN for the first time, faces a tough group with DR Congo, Morocco, Zambia, and Angola. With experienced goal-getters Shumah and Osoro gone, Ogam becomes the country’s chief goal threat. The young striker has embraced the challenge, setting himself an ambitious target of scoring at least one or two goals per match. A tally he hopes will inspire the Stars to make a deep run on home soil.