Harambee Stars duo departs for Sweden

Youthful Harambee Stars duo left-back Erick “Marcelo” Ouma and winger Ovella Ochieng left the country Saturday night to join Swedish second division side Vasalund IF.

Ouma, capped 15 times, has been in the country after a short stint with promoted Albanian super league side KF Kastrioti Kruje while Ovella is leaving SportPesa Premier League (SPL) side Kariobangi Sharks after four years at the club.

Ouma was set to join Albanian giants KF Tirana at the start of this month but the deal hit a snag after both parties failed to agree on terms before the Swedish side snatched his services while with the national team in the invitational Intercontinental Cup in India in June.

“I look forward to a new journey after almost six months out grappling with an injury. I am happy that the national team coach (Sebastian Migne) gave me a chance to slowly regain my form, I am yet to hit my best but I am going to work extra hard to get back to where I was before and even scale further,” said the former Gor Mahia defender, who emerged the young player of the year in 2016.

Ovella, who has won 20 caps, thanked Kariobangi Sharks for the time he has been at the club.

“I’ve learnt a lot since I joined Sharks from high school and forever they will be in my heart. I won’t forget the great moments we shared together from the second tier to the premier league,,” said the former Upper Hill student.

Vasalund, home to another Kenyan midfielder Anthony Wambani, have a seven-point lead on the Division 2 standings, the fourth tier of Swedish football, with 37 points after 13 games.

Kenyan international Eric Johanna is currently at the Swedish top tier side IF Brommapojkarna after a one-year stint at Vasalund.

The two join a long list of Kenyan players who have started their European sojourn in the Scandinavian country.