This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
On September 8, 2018, Harambee Stars player Philemon Otieno suffered a knee injury during a match against Ghana at Moi Sports Centre Kasarani. The injury would have a lasting impact on his career and his relationship with Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
After the injury, Otieno was left to fend for himself, raising over Sh1 million to cover the cost of surgery and rehabilitation for his torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). He has since fully recovered and resumed training in February.
Speaking to Standard Sports, Otieno set the record straight about the circumstances surrounding his injury. He denied claims that he was injured during a match in Egypt or while playing for Gor Mahia, stating that the injury occurred during the Chan game against Tanzania on August 4.
“Honestly, I was drained both mentally and financially by the injury. I thank God for everything and the most important thing is I’ve fully recovered. But I want to put the record straight today. I sustained the injury (knee) during the Chan game against Tanzania (Chan) and not in Egypt or Gor Mahia as alleged. There is no way someone can pick you in the team when you are unfit or injured,” Otieno said.
He also praised Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama for speaking up on his behalf and thanked Gor Mahia management for giving him a chance to revive his career by extending his contract.
“Whatever Wanyama (Victor) said is absolutely true. I personally looked for him and talked about the matter. He promised to make follow up with the federation, but at the end of the day this is my career and I couldn’t wait for long yet I was in pain. I didn’t want to be caught-up in the blame game between FKF and Gor Mahia. What I wanted was to undergo the procedure and get back to the pitch. I’ve no problem playing for Harambee Stars again. I can’t turn down a national team call up because of what happened. If all goes well and I perform to my level best, I will always be ready to represent my country. I have no ill feelings towards the federation,” Otieno added.
