New window of opportunity for Ogam as Austrian club appoints new manager

Harambee Stars striker Ryan Ogam will after a second consecutive international break head into a new environment at Wolfsberger AC, following another coaching reshuffle at the Austrian club.

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The Wolf Pack on Wednesday, 12 November surprised many by pulling the plug on former head coach Peter Pacult, just four weeks after he was hired to replace Dietmar Kühbauer, who left for rivals LASK Linz.

Ryan Ogam to play under experienced former RB Leipzig coach in Austria

A club statement pointed to Pacult’s poor run as the reason for the amicable separation, with the 66-year-old former Leipzig man only managing two wins - one against SK Sturm Graz in the league, and an extra-time victory over SKU Amstetten in the ÖFB Cup.

Pacult’s last game in charge saw Wolfsberger lose 2-1 at home to TSV Hartberg on Saturday, 8 November.

Club President Dietmar Riegler made no delays in naming his replacement, bringing forth 45-year-old German coach Ismail Atalan.

Atalan, tasked by the administration to lead the Wolves back to success, managed Kapfenberger SV in the 2024-2025 season, guiding the Falcons to a third-place finish after a challenging campaign, a feat that earned him 2. Bundesliga Coach of the Year award.

The UEFA Pro Licence coach, who prefers to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, is expected to lead his first training session on Thursday, 13 November, a time when Ogam will be busy on international duty with Harambee Stars.

Ogam, who joined Wolfsberger in September, will look at the coaching change as another chance to rebuild his trust in the team, having seen his minutes dwindle under Pacult.

The 20-year-old was named on the bench during Pacult’s first two games in charge, before making a first-half appearance in the cup game.

The last two league fixtures however saw the former Tusker man drop completely out of the team, and he will be glad a chance at a new slate has come up for him.

Wolfsberger return to league action on Saturday, 22 November against Altach.

Ryan Ogam opens up on biggest challenge since joining Austrian side