STARS ABROAD: Harambee Stars left back to play under new coach at Polish club

Harambee Stars defender Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma will play under a new coach at his club - Raków Częstochowa - when he returns from injury.

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This comes after the Polish team on Friday, 19 December parted its ways with coach Marek Papszun, who left for another Ekstraklasa side, Legia Warsaw.

The development brought an end to Papszun’s eighteen-month spell at the Medallions, who have been home to Kenyan left-back Ouma since January 2024.

“Coach Marek Papszun after his second, year-and-a-half-long adventure with the Medallions - is leaving Raków Częstochowa,” the club posted on Friday.

“Coach, thank you for everything and we wish you success in your further career.”

Papszun, 51, served two separate stints with Częstochowa; one lasting for seven years since April 2016, and the other being his recent, which began in May 2024, just months after Ouma had stepped into the club.

The Polish manager led Raków in 355 matches to date, winning 205 of them, drawing 77, and losing 73.

In his first spell, Papszun rallied the Medaliks to two promotions - to the First League and then to the Ekstraklasa.

There, they finished second in the Polish Championship twice, adding the Polish Cup and Super Cup twice, and made their European debut.

They crowned their seven-year journey with the Polish Championship title in the 2022/2023 season.

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Upon his return, Raków finished runner-up in Poland for the third time in its history, and this season advanced to the league and knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League.

Raków, who on Thursday, 18 December beat Cypriot side Omonoia FC to climb to second on the Conference League standings, will spend the winter break in fourth place in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa table, one point behind leaders Wisła Płock.

Ouma, on the other hand, will wait for a positive update on his Achilles ligament injury, which he expects to come back from by March 2026.

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