Mohammed Bajaber has taken the Kenyan national football scene by storm but his maiden brush with the Harambee Stars was not as pleasant as his recent outing.
Harambee Stars midfielder Mohammed Bajaber has captured the hearts of Kenyan football fans with a remarkable national team debut during the March international break.
Bjaber's recent outing with outing with the Kenyan national football team has catapulted him from a promising local talent to a cult hero.
But while Bajaber’s latest heroics on the pitch made headlines, his journey to the Harambee Stars was anything but smooth.
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"It was my first call-up but it didn’t come at the right time, I’d say, because my season had finished," recalled Bajaber in an interview with Eleven TV.
"I was in Mombasa, I had a hamstring injury, just chilling. Then I got the call-up. I just did what I could, wrapped my leg, took painkillers, but yeah, it didn’t go too well. I didn’t make the final squad."
Mohammed Bajaber's rise with the Harambee Stars
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Fast forward to March 2024, the 22-year-old midfielder is not just on the squad but a promising figure of a new-look Harambee Stars side.
In a thrilling World Cup qualifier against Gambia in Abidjan, Bajaber came off the bench and immediately turned the tide.
With Kenya trailing, he coolly slotted home an equalizer to level the score at 2-2, igniting a comeback that ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw.
That one moment of composure under pressure earned him a starting role just three days later against Gabon at a packed Nyayo Stadium.
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Kenya lost narrowly, but Bajaber displayed a maturity and tactical edge that belied his years.
Head coach Benni McCarthy didn’t hesitate in his praise, backing the Kenya Police midfielder to have a bright future with Harambee Stars.
Bajaber overcame a turbulent start to life with the Kenyan national football team to become a cult hero for the Harambee Stars.