- Harambee Stars strikers are enjoying fine form in different leagues across the universe.
- Elvis Rupia has netted five goals for Tanzanian side Singida Black Stars, one less than Suleiman Mwalimu who leads the golden boot race.
- Francis Kahiro and Ryan Ogam are also fighting for the Golden Boot in Kenya.
The men’s national football team, Harambee Stars, recently disappointed many football supporters in the country after failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 tournament.
Some of the fans put the blame entirely on head coach Engin Firat, with some arguing that his team selection is what led to the dismal performance in the final group stage matches.
Harambee Stars needed to win their two last matches to stand a chance of booking a ticket to the continental championship scheduled to be played in Morocco, but they ended up settling for draws.
The side that did not have an opportunity to play a single match at home did not utilize the chances that they got especially in their clash against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
However, with the opportunity to play the 2025 AFCON tournament gone, all is not lost for Harambee Stars, who will be hoping to redeem themselves in the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.
SportPesa Blog looks at some of the Harambee Stars strikers who are posting impressive displays for their clubs, with some of them eligible to feature in the CHAN tournament slated to kick off in February 2025.
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Ryan Ogam
Tusker FC forward Ryan Ogam is one of the most lethal strikers in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) at the moment.
Ogam, who joined Tusker in August from the National Super League (NSL) side Rainbow FC, has netted seven goals since the start of the season, with the latest one coming against Mara Sugar.
The goals have made him climb to the top of the FKFPL golden boot race, where he is joined by KCB FC forward Francis Kahiro.
However, unlike most strikers who have had a smooth start to the 2024/2025 league campaign, Ogam’s first season with the Brewers has been full of challenges.
The talented player suffered an injury several weeks ago which forced him to be sidelined for three matches.
Ogam, who earned his first ever national team call up earlier this month, revealed his objective for this season in a recent interview.
According to him, he is seeking to score many goals for his club, and get a chance to play a match for Harambee Stars.
“There are targets I had set at the start of the season. Of course as a striker, it is always a nice feeling when you score every time. I had set a target to score at least 10 goals by the end of the first leg or more and feature in the national team, of which I got a chance to earn a call up but I didn’t feature in any game.
So, I hope to score more goals and feature in the national team, not just to earn a call up,” he explained.
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Former AFC Leopards forward Elvis Rupia is also enjoying life in the Tanzanian Premier League at the moment.
Rupia, who has already donned the Harambee Stars jersey in his career, scored a consolation goal for Singida Black Stars in their 2-1 defeat on Thursday evening.
The goal brought his tally to five, one less than Fountain Gate FC sensation Suleiman Mwalimu, who leads the golden boot race.
Despite his fine form, Rupia will not be eligible to feature in the CHAN tournament since he does not play in the Kenyan domestic league.
Francis Kahiro
Francis Kahiro of KCB FC is another forward that cannot stop scoring at the moment in the FKFPL.
Kahiro has scored seven goals so far this season and he is one of the favorites to bag the top scorer award at the end of the season.
His latest goal came in KCB’s 1-1 draw with a strong Kenya Police FC side in a match played on Tuesday, November 26.
Kahiro’s goal scoring prowess has helped the Bankers to occupy the first position in the league standings with 21 points.
The talented striker is expected to be in the Harambee Stars’ squad for CHAN should he continue finding the back of the net.
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Michael Olunga
Finally, former Gor Mahia star Michael Olunga is another Kenyan striker who is doing great at the moment.
Olunga has been on fire for Qatar Stars League side Al-Duhail since recovering from an injury a few weeks ago.
He has netted eight goals so far this season which places him second in the golden boot race behind Algeria’s Baghdad Bounedjah, who has netted 10 goals for Al-Shamal.
Moreover, the 30-year-old recently achieved a great feat by becoming the most successful goal scorer in Al-Duhail’s rich history.
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