Returning Striker Ready to Fill Ryan Ogam’s Big Shoes at Tusker After Fine Scoring Run in Pre-season

Tusker FC coach Charles Okere admitted the departure of striker Ryan Ogam will be a massive blow to his team but he looks to have found a solution.

Ogam had one excellent season with the Brewers, scoring 15 goals in the FKF Premier League in 2024-25, and that, added to his heroics with Harambee Stars, attracted interest from Europe.

The striker has since joined Austrian Bundesliga side Wolfsberger AC after just one season at Tusker in what was his first time in the Kenyan top flight.

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With Tusker still with title ambitions, after coming close but running out of steam in the latter months of last season, Okere needs goals to win matches as this is what put them in contention in 2024-25.

Now with talisman Ogam gone, the Tusker coach looks to have found a replacement in the returning Erick Kapaito, who has made a comeback to the club following an unsuccessful spell in Tanzania.

Kapaito played for Tusker in the 2023-24 season and impressed with 12 goals, which attracted the interest of Tanzanian side Namungo FC, but he struggled to make an impact and has opted to return home and kickstart his career in familiar surroundings.

To demonstrate that the former Kariobangi Sharks man is ready, he has scored five goals in pre-season, which gives him confidence of filling the big shoes vacated by Ogam.

“They [goals] have really motivated me to be honest. I needed to work so much during pre-season to give myself momentum and those five goals have just pushed me further,” Kapaito told Telecomasia.net.

“My ambition is to match the number of goals I scored when I was last here and the second point is to improve them. I know my abilities and I know I can do it.

“As a team, we are ready for the new season and the targets have been set clear from the word go; to win the league. I want to do my best to score and give my contribution to this target.”

Tusker have just completed pre-season camp in Kisumu and will begin their 2025-26 FKF Premier League campaign with a home match against KCB on Saturday September 20.