Harambee Stars Midfielder Earns High Praise Despite 1-3 Loss in UEFA Conference League Encounter

Lech Poznan coach Niels Frederiksen has hailed Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma despite his side losing 1-3 against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Enea Stadion in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie on March 12, 2026.

The visitors took control in the 36th minute when Marlon Gomes finished a slick team move to open the scoring. Shortly after the halftime break, Newerton doubled the advantage with a low strike, effectively silencing the home crowd.

Lech Poznań’s captain Mikael Ishak managed to pull one back in the 70th minute to provide a glimmer of hope, but the comeback was short-lived. Substitute Isaque sealed the win for Shakhtar in the 85th minute, leaving the Polish side with a significant mountain to climb in the return leg.

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Speaking during the post-match press conference, the Lech Poznań coach reflected on his team’s performance, noting that from the very start it was clear they were facing a top-level opponent in Shakhtar Donetsk.

Niels Frederiksen emphasised that the Ukrainian side demonstrated impressive speed, strength, and technical ability, qualities that his team rarely encounters in the Ekstraklasa.

Standing on the line, he could immediately sense the level of the challenge, and he admitted that his own players struggled to match the intensity and skill of their opponents.

He pointed out that Lech Poznań failed to maintain control of the ball, which allowed Shakhtar to launch dangerous counterattacks, and the team lacked composure in key moments.

"Everyone knew who we were playing against. Shakhtar Donetsk has high quality, the opponent was fast, strong, and good with the ball at our feet,” the coach shared.

“I could feel who we were playing against when I was on the line; we don't normally play against opponents like that in the Ekstraklasa.

“Today, we lacked quality with the ball at our feet, we fuelled the opponent's counterattacks, and we lacked composure with the ball. We should have achieved a better result."

Niels Frederiksen explained that he brought on Timothy Ouma to address his team’s struggles in controlling the match and regaining possession, highlighting that the Harambee Stars midfielder’s physical presence was expected to make a difference.

He noted that after halftime, the team’s performance in that area improved. He also detailed the reasoning behind substituting Michał Gurgul, saying the team needed more energy and wanted Joao Moutinho to apply additional pressure.

The coach praised the impact of Timothy Ouma, Patrik Walemark and Taofeek Ismaheel coming off the bench, emphasising that these changes helped create a strong period in the game that ultimately led to a goal while those players were on the pitch.

"I brought on Timothy Ouma because we weren't controlling the match and weren't winning the ball back. That's why Ouma came on, and we were counting on his physical strength. After the break, our play in that area was better,” he added.

“Michał Gurgul came off because we were looking for more energy and were counting on Joao Moutinho pressing. Patrik Walemark also contributed a lot from the bench, as did Taofeek Ismaheel. We had a good moment in this match and scored when these players were on the pitch."

The coach insisted that the team is not giving up and remains confident about creating opportunities in the return leg, stressing that they still have a realistic chance to advance.

He reflected on a previous cup loss earlier in the season but noted that they had led in the return leg and believed in their ability to progress.

He also provided an update on the players who were substituted, confirming that their health is fine and emphasising the importance of the upcoming match.

The coach praised the quality and energy of the substitutes, highlighting that players like Patrik Walemark made a positive impact after coming onto the field.

"We're not giving up, we're counting on a chance in the return leg, we'll give ourselves a chance to advance. We've already lost once in the cup this season, but we were leading in the return leg and believed we could advance. We believe we can still advance," he added.

"The health of the players who came off is fine. We also have an important match on Sunday, and the substitutes have quality, and they showed it today after coming on. The substitutes had energy, and Patrik Walemark, among others, played well."