Harambee Stars forward Ryan Ogam watched from the bench as his Austrian club Wolfsberger AC endured their first defeat in nearly two months after falling 2-1 to SV Ried in the Austrian Bundesliga on Saturday.
Ogam, who impressed for Kenya during the recent World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast—scoring against the Swallows—was not called upon to feature in the match. Despite being in good form internationally, the forward was left as an unused substitute, with his coach opting to stick with the side that had gone six games unbeaten.
Wolfsberger started brightly and took the lead in the 20th minute through Dejan Zukic. The hosts looked composed for most of the first half, managing to contain Ried’s attacking threats and heading into the break with a narrow advantage.
After the restart, however, the visitors found their rhythm. Zambian forward Kingstone Mutandwa, introduced in the second half, made an immediate impact. He equalised in the 53rd minute, capitalising on a lapse in concentration from the Wolfsberger defence. From then on, the match turned into a tense battle as both sides pushed for a winner.
The game took a dramatic turn deep into stoppage time when Wolfsberger defender Cheick Mamadou Diabate was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge inside the penalty area. The foul handed Ried a golden opportunity to steal all three points. Mutandwa stepped up to take the penalty and coolly slotted home his second of the night, sealing a comeback victory for the visitors and silencing the home fans.
The defeat marked Wolfsberger’s first loss in seven matches, ending their impressive run and dealing a blow to their title ambitions. They remain second on the table with 17 points from 10 matches, one point behind league leaders Sturm Graz, who have played two fewer games.
For Ogam, it was a disappointing afternoon as he continues to wait for his first home appearance since joining Wolfsberger. The Kenyan striker had featured briefly as a substitute in the previous league match before the international break but was unable to build on that momentum.
With competition for starting spots intensifying, Ogam will be eager to prove himself in training and earn a place in the starting XI as Wolfsberger prepare for their next league fixture.
