Kadenge mourns Gossage Cup legend Khayadi
Renowned sports journalist John Nene (left) presents Joe Kadenge with a copy of ‘Joe Kadenge: The Life of a Football Legend’, a biography of the Kenyan football legend that he authored. Present to witness the book’s launch at The Stanley Hotel were Cord leader Raila Odinga (centre), John Mwazemba, CEO of Phoenix Publishers and legendary goalkeeper Mahmoud Abbas. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Khayadi will be buried this weekend in Khayega, Kakamega County
- Khayadi died at the age of 85.
Kenyan football legend Joe Kadenge on Tuesday eulogised fallen Gossage Cup veteran Levy Khayadi as the man who inspired him into football.
Khayadi, who will be buried this weekend in Khayega, Kakamega County, was in Kenya’s team that won the Gossage Cup, the forerunner of the present day East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup, in 1952 by beating Uganda 6-2 thanks to a Khayadi hat-trick, a brace from Elijah Lidonde and a strike from Omari Okumu.
“Khayadi and the team returned home to a heroes’ welcome with a street parade in Nairobi after the 1952 victory and he is the man who inspired me to play football at the highest level, along with his brother Enock Wiraga,” Kadenge, 81, told Daily Nation Sport. “He was brilliant midfielder and his brother Enock a great centre-half,” Kadenge said. Khayadi died at the age of 85.
