On Saturday, ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo hosted Gor Mahia legends ahead of the “Mashemeji” derby that was played on Sunday.
The legends spoke so passionately about their days at Gor Mahia and their achievements. I felt touched.
But one speech caught me. It was from the greatest Gor Mahia player of all time; Allan Thigo nicknamed Ogango wuon Pap which loosely translates as the king of the pitch.
Thigo said: “Playing for Gor Mahia is an honour.”
Allan Thigo represents everything that was success at Gor Mahia in the past. With Thigo, Gor was a success. We ruled East and Central Africa and reached the finals of the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1979.
I am writing this because we need to rediscover the passion in Gor Mahia, the passion of playing for this great club and supporting K’Ogalo.
The world over, top clubs ensure they honour their legends and give them priority when it comes to opportunities to run the club or play a role, in Kenya, this is not so much practised.
But I think it is time we not only honoured our club legends but also made them part of the day-to-day running of the club.
Gor Mahia has produced some of the greatest players to have ever graced African football yet some of the current players and fans do not even know these legends.
Owalo has initiated something worth encouraging. We need to recognise these legends .
If it were not for the K’Ogalo legends, Gor Mahia would not be what it is today.
But we should not just be rounding up the legends on “Mashemeji” derby, we need to have a data base of the great players who donned the famed green jersey and set up a Hall of Fame.
It is unfortunate that some of our current fans and players do not know and have not seen the great players who made Gor Mahia what it is today because, as a club, we have not recognised them.
Time has come for us to appreciate our legends.
On Saturday, Owalo said we need to create time once every year to sit together as one Gor Mahia family. It is important because it is only in such events that we will give honour to our current and former players. BY DAILY NATION