Darajani Gogo defender Lameck Omondi has shared details of his struggles with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury that had him stay for 14 months on the sidelines.For any sportsman more so footballers, an ACL injury is one of the worst if not the worst injury that one can suffer in his career.An ACL injury confirms that one will be out for at least one full season and this is if setbacks do not come to play. ACL is also an expensive injury to treat both financially and emotionally.On the international front this season, ACL has claimed the Spanish duo of Manchester City midfielder Rodri and Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, who have all been ruled out for the rest of the season##NAJAVA_MECA_8406323##Omondi became a victim of an ACL injury in April 2023 when he tore his ligaments, only managing to return to the pitch in July this year, and in an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport, he shared his ordeal on the sidelines.“It was very hard. It was hard to be on the sidelines especially when I watched the team play. Sometimes you do not want to attend matches because it makes you feel bad,” said Omondi.The Kisumu Day alumnus says that taking a day at a time was so important to his recovery journey.“The rehabilitation process was long and at some point, I felt like giving up but followed my physician’s advice and took things step by step, a day at a time which also helps in recovering well devoid of setbacks,” he stated.Tactical Analysis: A look into Harambee Stars’ 90 minutes of total submission against CameroonOmondi was turning out for Rainbow FC where he was the club’s captain when he got injured. The club took him to Nairobi Spine and Orthopaedic Centre for surgery but things took a different turn along the way.“The team took care of me like 60%. When I got injured, they took me to surgery. However, things got bad this year when the support kept on reducing and eventually, there was none due to the circumstances surrounding the team,” he said.Rainbow FC were facing financial challenges which eventually led to the dissolution of the team and withdrawal from the National Super League (NSL) citing increased cost of living.Their slot in the second tier has since been taken by Michael Olunga Foundation (MOFA). For the former Rainbow captain though, this was more damaging as he was now left to handle his rehabilitation on his own.##NAJAVA_MECA_8406301##“It was a trying moment because I had to face it alone with the help of a few friends who ensured that I did not miss my rehabilitation sessions,” he said.He experienced the reality of abandonment and the thoughts of giving up as a result of failing to take care of himself kicked in.“I was once again giving up and thought of just hanging my boots as I did not have money to pay for a gym, my rehabilitation and also rent,” he explained.The former Dandora Love FC player said that it took the intervention of his supportive friends for him to continue with his rehabilitation which was under the guidance of Kariobangi Sharks physiotherapist John Kemboi.Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat clashes with journalists after Cameroon defeat“I would like to thank my friends; Fredrick Were, Coach Idi, our then team manager and Fortune Omotto of Kariobangi Sharks for plugging in the gap for me,” he added.After 14 months, Omondi was eventually given a clean bill of health but there was a new problem to deal with, the dissolution of his former side Rainbow meant that the 20-year-old had to look for a new workstation which in itself was not easy.“I had to carry my bag and try to find a new team. Gogo was my fourth destination after I was unsuccessful in my previous three attempts and I think I love it here. It was not easy because I was not 100% fit so it was akin to starting from zero,” he concluded.Omondi is now fully recovered and is slowly regaining his form after establishing himself as a regular in the Paul Ogai-coached Darajani Gogo.##NAJAVA_MECA_8406276##Up next for Omondi and Darajani Gogo is an NSL fixture against Nzoia Sugar on Sunday 13 October at Vapor Grounds, Ngong’.
