- Harambee Stars defender Eric Ouma has been sidelined with injury for close to ten months.
- The former Gor Mahia defender highlights mental strength as an important part of recovery.
- Ouma returns to the Harambee stars squad for the double friendly matches against Lesotho.
Harambee Stars wing-back Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma has opened up about the grueling mental and physical battle of his 10-month injury layoff, declaring himself ready to feature for the national team after completing a triumphant return to fitness.
The explosive defender’s career ground to a sudden halt on August 28, 2025, when he suffered a devastating ruptured Achilles tendon during a training session with his Polish Ekstraklasa club, Raków Częstochowa.
The injury sidelined him for the entire remainder of the European club season, forcing him into a lengthy and isolating rehabilitation program.
Harambee Stars defender Eric Ouma opens up on 10-month injury struggle
Speaking to Sportpesa News on his recovery, the former AIK Solna star admitted that extended time away from the pitch often breeds doubts for professional athletes.
“I think sometimes if you’re out of football for long, you always feel like maybe you don’t want to play football because now you have been engaging with the outside world, you have been learning new things,” Ouma reflected.
“But for me, I have to understand that football is my job and to come back also, I need to come back better and be the same person that I was.”
Ouma highlighted mental health management as the toughest hurdle during his stint on the sidelines.
“I should not give up just because I got an injury, and I have to control also the mental health part because for an injured player, it’s always a long way. So I have to enjoy every moment and to understand that I’m coming back from an injury. I don’t have to rush anything to prove anything,just to take it slowly until I reach the level that I want.”
Ouma’s resilience is nothing new. Since bursting onto the scene as the Kenyan Premier League Young Player of the Year with Gor Mahia in 2016, his European journey has been a masterclass in adaptation.
Early setbacks,including severe hamstring injuries during brief spells in Georgia and Albania,threatened to derail his career.
However, a total reset in Sweden saw him transform from a lower-tier prospect at Vasalunds IF into an elite, explosive wing-back across a 100-appearance century for top-flight giants AIK Solna.
That stellar form secured him a high-profile transfer to then-defending Polish champions Raków Częstochowa in January 2024, where his electric pace helped secure European football.
When asked about the secret behind his consistency at the highest level, Ouma pointed directly to body maintenance and support systems.
“The secret is about how well you keep yourself because your body is your tool,” Ouma said. “So if your body is not working well, then it cannot function because European football is demanding. And demanding means that you need to be focused and consistent in everything,be it training, be it games,that is what will keep you there.”
Despite his European focus, Ouma keeps a close eye on his roots. He extended his warm congratulations to his former employers, Gor Mahia, for reclaiming the Sportpesa League title.
“It was seen from before that they were going to take the league. So they are used to these things,” Ouma remarked. “For next year, I believe also they will have the best performance even in the CAF Champions League because if you proceed to the next stage of Champions League, it’s good for Kenyan football.”
Ouma urged local fans and stakeholders to rally behind continental representatives, noting the broader coefficient benefits for the country.
“If you perform there, it increases the points for even maybe having two or three teams participating. So if you understand that, I think we should always support all the Kenyan teams who are playing in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
Following his successful rehabilitation, Ouma’s highly anticipated return to the national team has been made official with his inclusion in the Harambee Stars squad traveling to South Africa.
The wing-back is set to play a crucial role in the upcoming dual friendly matches against Lesotho, using the high-profile camp to regain his match fitness.