Harambee Stars midfielder opens up on heartbreaking injury that ruled him out of CHAN
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 01.08.25. | 12:17
The 28-year-old says he will spend his recovery time around the team as they cover his absence all through the tournament
Harambee Stars midfielder Brian Musa says the news of him being ruled out of the African Nations Championships (CHAN) left him heartbroken, but he is hopeful of the team’s chances without his services.
Musa, a nailed-on starter for Kenya, was on Wednesday, 30 July, struck off the team’s 25-man squad for CHAN after sustaining a grade 2 hamstring tear in a closed-door friendly against Kenya Police on Saturday, 26 July.
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Stars head coach Benni McCarthy referred to the injury as a big blow, coming just days before a home tournament scheduled to run from Saturday, 2 to Saturday, 30 August.
Speaking exclusively to Mozzart Sport, Musa expressed his pain of missing out on the championships he thought would propel his career to higher heights.
“It is heartbreaking to say the least,” Musa, 28, said on Friday, 1 August. “The easiest question I asked at the time was ‘Why now’, because it quite did not make sense for me to train and prepare so hard, only to get injured at the last minute.”
Musa recalls how everything turned from what he thought was a slight niggle, to an injury he has never dealt with in his footballing career.
“I was pressing, and just when I was taking off, I suddenly felt some sort of muscle pull,” Musa tried to paint a picture of the events leading up to his injury.
“I stayed down for a while, but we all thought it was a strain because I felt nothing. There was no pain.”
Being on a weekend, it took until Monday for Musa to undergo an MRI, whose results shattered him.
“Just an hour into our normal training session, I was called over by the team doctor, who told me the results were negative,” the Kenya Police player said, expressing those immediate moments as “full of hurt and stress.”
The former Posta Rangers man, though with the perspective of the bruising nature of football, said the words of his teammates gave him renewed hope.
“Everyone came around offering encouragement, and it was really good to see,” Musa said.
“The coach also spoke to me and requested that I stay around as I begin my recovery.”
The injury is expected to sideline him for three weeks, a time he expects his teammates to be lighting up home fans.
“This team is very capable of going deep in the tournament,” Musa said. “I have no doubt about their quality and preparedness. They are going to deliver.”
On Tusker midfielder Chrispine Erambo, who is widely expected to directly replace him in the team, Musa said: “The guy can work. He is my friend, and I remember playing with him while he was still in high school. He has developed so well over the years, and I know he will perform well even now.”
Kenya kickstart their championships on Sunday, 3 August against DR Congo at the Moi International Sports Stadium - Kasarani from 1500 EAT.
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