Let’s lift Gor ‘curse’ by supporting ailing Dawo

Last week, my friend, Kerubo Momanyi, kicked off a noble cause on Facebook to help raise money for Gor Mahia FC legend Peter Dawo.

Now, Dawo has been ailing for a while, suffering a nagging knee injury that requires surgery to mend. As members of the Gor Mahia family, we must show our appreciation and return the favour to “Omuga,” the man whose exploits on the field are yet unmatched.

In 1987, Dawo scored 10 goals to earn a place in the annals of African football history during the Mandela Cup (then known as the Africa Cup Winners Cup, now Confederation Cup) campaign.

The most impressive part of his achievement remains the fact that of the 10 goals he scored in that campaign, eight were headers, a feat no other local player has matched more than three decades down the lane.

Dawo was also part of the 15-times Kenya Premier League winners Gor Mahia squad that bagged a treble in 1987 — the Moi Golden Cup, the league title and a continental crown.

Today, he needs our help. All lovers of football on my wall, sacrifice lunch or buy a light skin one less Guarana. Send whatever you can. It will all go a long way.

For those of us who watched Dawo play, we can only thank God for according us that opportunity. Although technically not in the class of his team-mates like Abbas Khamis Magongo, George Onyango “Fundi” or Sammy Onyango “Jogoo”, Dawo had two things going for him — sheer strength and an instinct for goals which I have not seen in many.

If the ball landed in the opponent’s box, then you were sure Dawo would get it and score.

Another thing with Dawo is that he doesn’t mince his words.

In an interview with a local sports website about two years ago, Dawo claimed that the poor run Gor Mahia was having was because the team was suffering from a “curse” imposed on them by former players who were badly treated.

Dawo claimed that the only way to break the “curse” was for club officials to recognize their former heroes.

“It has been 27 years since we won the Mandela Cup, yet the only thing we received was Sh1,000 from club officials. “In between, some players have died, while others are alive but they never have anything good to say about the club. Perhaps, it is the reason they continue to perform poorly,” Dawo told the website. He added: “Perhaps if they went back and gave some recognition then maybe it can unblock the ‘curse’.

“What they should do is gather all those former players who are still alive and the families of those who have died and offer some form of recognition. Then perhaps this can open the way for them to do well at continental level.”

I wish Omuga well as he goes under the knife!