Harambee Stars Forward Ryan Ogam Reveals 2 Ambitious Targets at Upcoming CHAN 2024

Tusker forward Ryan Ogam has set his sights on two major objectives ahead of the upcoming African Nations Championships (CHAN) 2024, as Kenya prepares to co-host the tournament alongside Tanzania and Uganda this August.

The 20-year-old striker, who joined Tusker from the now-defunct Rainbow FC in August 2024, has had a meteoric rise in domestic football. 

Initially deployed as a central midfielder, Ogam has successfully reinvented himself as a forward and emerged as one of the most promising goal-scorers in the FKF Premier League.

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Ogam netted 15 goals for Tusker this season before a season-ending knee injury cut short his campaign, denying him the opportunity to reach his self-imposed 30-goal target. However, despite the setback, Ogam has made the final squad for CHAN 2024 — a milestone he does not take lightly.

“It is a big opportunity and a chance for my career to get to the next level. It has come at the right time,” he told FKF TV, also revealing he had turned down a move to Algerian giants USM Algier to focus on his development locally.

With Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy and his technical team evaluating several strikers for the CHAN squad, competition was stiff. 

The situation was further complicated by the late withdrawals of forwards Moses Shumah and Emmanuel Osoro, both of whom secured transfers to Zambian side Power Dynamos.

Ogam admitted that making the final list was no easy feat.

“They were assessing several strikers who were coming and going so it was a challenge for me to step up,” he said. “Making the final squad shows that I was doing something right, so I was so happy and I feel privileged to be here.”

Ogam made his international debut earlier this year at the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar, turning out for Kenya against Burkina Faso. Reflecting on his transition from midfielder to striker, Ogam credited hard work and perseverance for his rise.

“It certainly has not been an easy journey… Getting call-ups after transitioning from midfielder to striker. I am so happy and it is another opportunity to make my name in front of the home crowd.”

Kenya have been drawn in Group A, widely considered one of the toughest in the tournament, alongside DR Congo, Angola, Morocco, and Zambia. But Ogam remains optimistic and is setting ambitious goals for himself and the team.

“Everyone wants to win and get a good result. We cannot afford to disappoint our home crowd and it is a good opportunity to show our league’s ability,” he said.

“I want to help the team go all the way to the final — that is my first goal. And then my second is to score at least a goal every match.”

With Group A matches set to be hosted at Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Ogam will be playing in front of a home crowd eager for success. His youthful energy, hunger, and potential make him a key player for the hosts, and a symbol of the future of Kenyan football.

The CHAN 2024 tournament, which features only players competing in their home domestic leagues, kicks off in early August and runs through August 30. Kenya will be hoping for a historic run on home soil — and Ogam looks set to be central to that effort.