Shabana seek to reclaim glamour days

Once the pride of Gusii and Kenya, Shabana Football Club has endured turbulent times over the last two decades.

On Friday night, Deputy President William Ruto has been invited as the chief guest at a funds drive to fuel the team’s participation in the National Super League.

The team requires between Sh16 million and Sh20 million ahead of the 2018/19 campaign scheduled to kicks off early next month.

The harambee, at Nairobi’s Crown Plaza Hotel from 6pm, hopes to garner something close to that.

In the 1980s, the Kisii-based club boasted some of Kenya’s finest players, and they even represented the country in Africa’s top tournament — the Africa Cup of Champion Clubs (now Caf Champions League) — losing in the preliminary rounds in 1988.

Shabana qualified by virtue of having come off third in the top league in 1987.

Kenya champions Gor Mahia were defending the Africa Cup Winners Cup while league runner-up AFC Leopards, who also came second in the Cup knockout to Gor Mahia, were the second Kenyan team in the Cup Winners Cup.

Shabana, therefore, landed the Champion Clubs Cup slot for the third place in the league

They played Kabwe Warriors of Zambia, beating them 1-0 at their Gusii Stadium home in the first leg before losing 4-1 away in Kitwe to exit in the tournament’s first round.

Harambee Stars’ legends Henry Motego, Henry Nyandoro, goalkeeper-turned-striker Mike Okoth and Richard Otambo are some of the big names Shabana has produced.

The team, formed in 1980 by Kisii-based businessman Dogo Khan, also had on its roster exciting midfielders Salim Mabruk, Hussein Omar “Tigana”, Kisco Kariuki, Peter Kamau “Kasskass” and defenders Sammy Simiyu, Seif Puzo, Sylvester Mageni, Evans Ombuna and Alfred Oloo “Fwaya”, to mention but a few.

However, financial issues meant Shabana was relegated from the top tier in 2006, leading to its near-collapse.

After the free-fall, the club seems to have risen from the third division ashes, qualifying for the second-tier National Football League after edging out Mwatate United in the play-off on post-match penalties.

So bad have Shabana’s finances been that coach Rix Kanuli has had to rely on weekly fund-raisers to honour matches. At one point in September, the club was saved by proprietors of the Skynest Hotel in Kitale where they had gone to honour an important fixture against Transfoc FC.

"We were actually honoured to sponsor the team. They did not have enough funds to cater for accommodation and meals while in Kitale," said Ruth Onsare, the hotel’s administration manager. "That's when we came in and provided their accommodation and also subsidized their meals.”

Besides offering accommodation and meals, the hotel’s management went to cheer the team at the match played at St Anthony Boys High School, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

"As Skynest we are very keen in supporting and nurturing talents among the youths. So it's not a strange thing to also support a football team," Samuel Muchiri Mwaura, the hotel’s finance manager, added.

Shabana — once popularly referred to by the media as "Kisii's glamour boys" — hope their run in the second tier next year will be smooth as they eye promotion back into the top flight in 2020.