Ryan Ogam: Harambee Stars Forward Breaks Down the Weight of Expectations and His Drive to Perform

Ryan Ogam has opened up about the pressure that comes with representing the Kenyan national team following their 8-0 defeat to the Lions of Teranga of Senegal.

Harambee Stars struggled to make a mark from the beginning of the match, with Senegal dominating throughout the 90 minutes.

Sadio Mane was dominant throughout and was the undeniable Man of the Match as he netted a comprehensive hat-trick (17', 31' penalty, 35').

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Nicolas Jackson was also in a class of his own as he opened the scoring spree in the ninth minute before adding another goal in the 15th minute.

Malick Diouf (12'), Ibrahima Mbaye (47'), and Cheikhou Ndiaye (80' penalty) also found the back of the net in the match.

Just before Harambee Stars departed for Turkey for their two international friendlies, Ryan Ogam explained that he constantly feels the weight of expectations that come with being in the spotlight, noting that people closely follow his performances and anticipate strong results from him.

He added that he views this not as a burden but as a form of encouragement, since it shows that supporters believe in his ability and want to see him succeed.

The Harambee Stars forward emphasised that attention motivates him rather than discourages him, and he stressed that his goal is always to give his absolute best whenever he steps onto the field.

“Of course, the pressure is there all the time because when you are in the limelight, everyone is watching you. They expect you to perform well, but I think that is positive pressure because it means people want the best from you. I always want to give 100%,” he said.

Ryan Ogam's journey with the Harambee Stars was rapidly accelerated by his performance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.

Ryan Ogam scored two decisive goals in the group stage, including a magnificent strike against Morocco and the winning goal against Zambia, helping Kenya top Group A. His heroics at CHAN 2024, where he finished as one of the team's joint top scorers, immediately caught the eye of European scouts.

Following the tournament, Ryan Ogam secured a major transfer to Europe, signing a deal with Wolfsberger AC, an Austrian Bundesliga side. This move to the top flight of Austrian football was confirmed in early September 2025.

After the CHAN tournament, he remained with the national team, including during the subsequent World Cup qualifiers against The Gambia and Seychelles, before officially joining his new club.

Ryan Ogam was also called up for the Harambee Stars international friendlies against Senegal and Equatorial Guinea.