Polish Club Breaks Silence Over Timothy Ouma's Delayed Return Following Harambee Stars Duty

Kenyan international Timothy 'Babu' Ouma has yet to rejoin his Polish club, Lech Poznań, following the recent international break, sparking concern and a formal response from the team.

The attacking midfielder was named in the Harambee Stars squad by head coach Benni McCarthy for November friendlies against Senegal and Equatorial Guinea.

However, Timothy Ouma did not feature in either match, where Harambee Stars were defeated 1-0 by Equatorial Guinea before a heavy 8-0 loss to Senegal.

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According to reports from Poland, Timothy Ouma was expected to return to Lech Poznań for a routine check-up after an injury prevented him from travelling with the national team to Turkey for the friendlies.

Instead, the club granted his request to remain in Kenya to handle urgent personal matters. Despite this arrangement, the Harambee Stars midfielder did not report back to the club, which has already resumed its league campaign.

Timothy Ouma was absent for Lech Poznań's commanding 4-1 victory over Radomiak Radom, a result that moved them to within six points of league leaders Górnik Zabrze with a game in hand.

Polish outlet KKSLech.com reported on Tuesday that Timothy Ouma's return date was uncertain. "Timothy Ouma has still not returned to our country, and worst of all, it’s unclear when he’ll arrive in Poznań," the report stated.

"The footballer presented a credible-sounding story to the sporting director and coach, claiming he was supposed to be dealing with 'his business' in Kenya. He is scheduled to arrive in Poznań next week, but his exact arrival date remains unknown."

Amid growing concern from fans, Lech Poznań's media liaison officer, Adrian Gałuszka, clarified the situation on social media.

"After our agreement, Timo stayed in his country last week," Gałuszka posted on his X account. "We remained in constant contact with him, and today he is landing in Poznań. He is healthy, and from tomorrow he will be training with the rest of the team."

This is not the first time Timothy Ouma has delayed his return to club duties after an international window. In March, while on loan from Slavia Prague, the former Nairobi City Stars player remained in Kenya for over three weeks following World Cup qualifiers against Gabon, citing visa issues for his prolonged absence.

Timothy Ouma was signed by Slavia Prague from Sweden last winter for €2 million but failed to make an impact, featuring in just one first-team match and two for the reserves. The Kenyan midfielder was quickly written off.

Following an injury to Radosław Murawski, Lech Poznań looked to strengthen their squad by loaning a defensive midfielder, and Timothy Ouma emerged as the choice.

The 21-year-old, well-known from his scouting days in Sweden and standout performances for Elfsborg in the Europa League, joined the Polish side.

Timothy Ouma’s contract with Slavia runs until June 30, 2029, but his market value at Kolejorz is unlikely to rise, leaving little chance for Slavia to recoup the €2 million they invested.