Gor, AFC clash digs out memories

A word of caution to ‘Camp Ingwe’ ahead of the ‘in-laws’ derby tomorrow: Gor Mahia is wounded and is seriously looking for someone to unleash their wrath on.

And the gods of football must have been on a very generous mood towards Gor by giving them their second victims in the KPL – the perennial irritants of AFC Leopards.

At present, the statistics on the Gor side are worrying and it is only the supporters with the K’Ogalo blood flowing in their veins that dare raise their heads and say it is not over until the fat lady sings.

A single win in the league followed by dismal performances and being booted out of a continental cup in the bargain does not really serve as an inspiration. Or does it?

No matter the form, Gor players have always known the history, the pride and the aspirations of the followers – the ‘Green Army’ – and have always risen to the occasion.

And although entering tomorrow’s match with conventional wisdom dictating that they are the underdogs, Gor fans want their players to know they are behind them 100 per cent.

While at it, they can as well throw conventional wisdom out the window and get down to the more important task of beating their old foes.

On the young Gor players rests the huge task of carrying on a fine tradition of ball wizards who have donned the green jersey in the past.

Who can forget the superb goals scored by the late Sammy “Jogoo” Onyango (now deceased) against AFC goalkeeper Mahmoud “Kenya One” Abbas at will?

During a memorable one in the August or thereabouts of 1986, in the second leg match at City Stadium, Jogoo released a left footer well out of the box which left Abbas mouthing obscenities at his defenders.

Barely 10 minutes later, Jogoo was at it again and from the same spot. One would have paid a king’s ransom to hear Abbas one more time. Or who can forget Laban Otieno, the only player ever to score a hat-trick in the ‘masemeji’ derby?

Perhaps it would do a lot of good to the current Gor players if, on the day Otieno scored the hat-trick, K’ogalo hammer Ingwe 5-1. ‘Mission Impossible’? Not really; these boys can very well repeat the feat.

Fiercely loyal, boisterous supporters

Another player Gor should well remember is John “Zangi” Okello, the ball juggler par excellence whose exploits saw him famously cross over to AFC where he was promptly given the Bukusu name of Wanyonyi.

Onto this rich legacy add the peculiarly Gor Mahia trait of the fiercely loyal, boisterous and entertaining supporters and all one can tell their opponents is that, as soon as the battle is joined tomorrow afternoon, be afraid. Very afraid.

Maybe one song the ‘Green Army’ normally sings will serve as a warning to AFC. In the song, Gor supporters lament that all the teams they have always been drawn against are minnows and that it is time someone brought to them Barcelona FC.

So, beat the war drums, take your seats and leave it to the people to suggest who the best in this contest is.