Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy ‘Babu’ Ouma has revealed how his close friendship with fellow Kenyan international Collins Sichenje helped influence his decision to join English Championship side, Charlton Athletic.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsOuma completed his move to Charlton on Monday, joining the London-based club from Czech giants Slavia Prague on a season-long loan with an option to make the transfer permanent.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883764##The 22-year-old becomes the seventh signing of the summer for the Addicks and will now link up with Sichenje, who joined Charlton in January on a three-and-a-half-year contract.For Ouma, having a familiar face at the Valley played an important role in making the move an attractive proposition as he prepares to adapt to a new league and country.Ouma revealed that his friendship with Sichenje goes back several years, with the pair developing a close bond before the defender moved to Sweden.Harambee Stars midfielder completes move to English side“Before he went to Sweden, we started a friendship; every time we meet in the national team, we are always sharing a room and all that,” Ouma said in an interview with the club's official website.Sichenje subsequently joined Swedish top-flight club AIK from AFC Leopards in April 2022, while Ouma continued to develop his career in Europe, eventually moving from Sweden to Slavia Prague.Despite following different career paths, the two have remained close, particularly when together with Harambee Stars. According to Ouma, Sichenje's experience at Charlton and his knowledge of the club gave him added confidence when considering the move.No easy start as Gor Mahia land strong opponent for 2026-2027 season opener“He told me to come here since it’s a good club and we are here together with him. It’s going to be a little bit easier for me to adapt and get going because I have someone who knows me. It’s going to be easy for us,” Ouma added.Ouma arrives at Charlton with considerable European experience despite his young age. He previously played for Swedish top-flight club IF Elfsborg before joining Slavia Prague in February 2025 on a four-and-a-half-year contract.Last season, he spent the campaign on loan at Polish side Lech Poznan, helping them win their 10th Polish top-flight title.His move to Charlton comes after a proposed transfer to Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade collapsed following a disagreement over the terms of the loan with Slavia Prague.Somali referee ahead of UEFA Super Cup: "If I can succeed, anyone can"For Ouma, the move to England represents another opportunity to test himself at a higher level, with the midfielder determined to make the most of his time at Charlton.“It’s been a long journey; I’ve ended up in London now. I don’t know what to say, but I think I have to be grateful to be here also. Every competition is different, every country is different, so as long as you’re pushing, everything will work out well,” he said.The Harambee Stars midfielder is also looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at the Valley and connecting with the Charlton supporters.“I will give my all as always, be the best and help the team to achieve what they want to achieve because it is a family. I want to see the fans and see all those supporters cheering,” he said.Ouma could make his Charlton debut on Saturday when the Addicks host Derby County in their opening EFL Championship fixture of the 2026/27 season.Kenya’s top rated chess player passes away