Why Harambee Stars midfielder has been demoted in Poland, dropped from Abu Dhabi trip

Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma is facing an uncertain future at Polish club Lech Poznan after he was on Saturday, 11 January dropped from the first team and forced to train with the reserves.

As per the club, Ouma "acted in a way that violated team rules", subsequently forcing the 21-year-old to sit out of the team’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, a situation that now raises questions over his future involvement with the side.

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It is not clear what exactly the Kenyan did to land the demotion, but it is understood that Ouma was missing from the team’s first day of training this year on Tuesday, 6 January.

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While the rest of the squad players gathered for an introductory meeting and a series of blood tests, the club noted that Ouma, together with Luis Palma and Taofeek Ismaheel, were not present until the following day on Wednesday, 7 January.

The explanation offered for Ouma was that his flight, along with that of Ismaheel, had been "delayed due to the weather outside."

Ouma, having settled in, will now not link up with coach Niels Frederiksen's side in Abu Dhabi, where they are expected to play three friendlies in readiness for a busy spring season in the league, and the domestic cup.

The club’s full statement regarding Ouma read: “Timothy acted in a way that violated team rules, so we decided not to include him in the squad for the Abu Dhabi camp. He will remain in the country and prepare for the spring season with the reserves, and his future with our first team depends solely on his performance.”

Ouma, shortly after his loan move to Poznan last year, had been expected to transfer there permanently, if the club had grown impressed to a point of prising him away from his permanent home - Slavia Prague.

The latest development, however, casts a big shadow on the chance of that happening, with Poznan relegating him from the first team, and needing him to prove himself in a matter of months before his loan deal expires on 30 June.

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The case is also not the first time Ouma has found himself at logger-heads with the Ekstraklasa club.

In November, the former Nairobi City Stars midfielder failed to report back to the club in time after the international break, citing that he was supposed to be dealing with his business in Kenya.

During that break, Ouma had been called up by Benni McCarthy for Harambee Stars' fixtures against Senegal and Equatorial Guinea, but was a no-show.

A report from KKSLech.com, read: "Timothy Ouma has still not returned to our country, and worst of all, it’s unclear when he’ll arrive in Poznań. 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."

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A similar episode befell the former Elfsborg player back in March last year, when he failed to report back to duty for Slavia Prague, opting to remain in Kenya for over three weeks after participating in Kenya’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Gabon.

At the time, Ouma stated visa challenges as the reason for the extended stay.

In December, Ouma extended his humanitarian hand to residents of Kawangware, when he organized a community give-back initiative that saw him donate foodstuffs, sports equipment, and shared a meal with hundreds of locals.

Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma's Christmas gift to Kawangware residents