Harambee Stars midfielder’s Romania debut delay explained
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 17.12.25. | 16:00
Since debuting, Odada has featured in consecutive matches and is expected to play a larger role as UTA continues its campaign in the Romanian top flight
Harambee Stars midfielder Richard Odada finally made his long-awaited debut for Romanian side UTA Arad at the end of November, more than three months after joining the club from Scottish outfit Dundee United.
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His delayed first appearance had puzzled many Kenyan fans, but details from Romania indicate that administrative hurdles are to be blamed for the long wait.
Odada moved to Arad in September in search of stability after a difficult short spell in Scotland, and was expected to earn minutes under coach Adrian Mihalcea, who had previously worked with another Kenyan, Erick Johana.
However, as matchdays passed with Odada left out of the squad, concerns grew among supporters who questioned why the midfielder was not featuring.
The prolonged absence also meant he missed several Harambee Stars fixtures, further sharpening the spotlight on his situation.
Hapo kwa McCarthy failing to call Odada I support him fully. You can't be getting called up if you have zero minutes at your club. Worse still, if you are clubless @pepeta_ke
— Zachary Oguda (@zaxoguda) September 26, 2025
Odada’s debut eventually arrived in late November, when he featured for the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 victory over Hermannstadt.
It has since emerged that the delay was caused by a combination of work-permit complications and a FIFA transfer embargo that unexpectedly hit UTA Arad shortly after his arrival.
Coach Mihalcea confirmed that the Kenyan midfielder’s clearance was stalled by administrative issues the club was dealing with behind the scenes.
Odada should be playing regularly at his club because currently, Id pick Alpha over him in that Stars setup. https://t.co/BzAo0sc8Gl
— Zachary Oguda (@zaxoguda) September 1, 2025
UTA had been slapped with a transfer ban by FIFA following multiple disputes with foreign players released in the summer.
Several players, including Augustin Vuletich, Lamine Ghezali, Ibrahima Conte, Damien Dussaut, Khadim Rassoul, Johana Eric Omondi, Paul Mpoku, Shayon Harrison and Nsungusi Effiong, had lodged complaints over unpaid salaries, with some seeking between two and five months’ arrears.
Their cases were ruled in their favor, forcing the club to settle outstanding obligations.
A separate matter involving young goalkeeper Denis Lungu Bocean further complicated UTA’s dealings, after paperwork from Austrian club Salzburger AK 1914 failed to reach FIFA’s systems on time.
The club remained blocked from registering new players, including Odada, despite already signing him.
By the time the midfielder finally secured his work permit, UTA were still under the ban, leaving him ineligible to play for several weeks.
The club eventually cleared the pending cases, and the embargo was lifted, allowing Odada to be registered and handed his long-awaited debut.
Speaking about the situation, coach Mihalcea admitted that the Kenyan had handled the months-long delay with professionalism.
“Odada is an intelligent guy and understands the situation,” Mihalcea said. “Of course, I talked to him. I cannot say he was not disappointed, but at the same time, I, as a coach, had nothing more to do. It was a question for the management, and I had been waiting for some time to be able to use him. But the way he trains… for me, everything is superlative,” he told Prosport.
Since debuting, Odada has featured in consecutive matches and is expected to play a larger role as UTA continues its campaign in the Romanian top flight.
