FOOTBALL Ten best Gor Mahia players of all time

K’Ogalo have had a number of top players down the years but just a few can be classified among the greatest.

A number of top talents can be considered ten best Gor Mahia players of all time having donned the green jersey over the years, enjoying remarkable success with the club who have won a record 19 Kenyan Premier League titles. 

However, just a few have been classified among the very best and different generations have identified whom they think was the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) based on a number of factors such as skill, intelligence or records.

Who are the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time?

Pulse Sports highlights the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time who can be classified among the greatest to have represented K’Ogalo.

Abbas 'Zamalek’ Magongo

Considered the best player to have worn the green jersey, Tanzania-born Magongo is one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time as he was loved by the club’s supporters but feared by rivals not just for his impact but his ability to entertain.

His deft touches, flicks and tricks were a joy to watch and despite his small frame, he had boundless energy, linking up play upfront while tracking back to help with defensive duties.

Popularly known as Zamalek, Magongo was the Zinedine Zidane version of Gor Mahia, a midfielder who was adept at creating chances for his teammates and scoring freely.

Magongo played for Gor between 1984 and 1991 and led them to the title in his first season, before showing his true prowess in 1985 when he scored 15 goals as K’Ogalo retained their title. That season, he scored a brace against bitter rivals AFC Leopards before netting the only goal as Gor silenced Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf in a friendly match.

Magongo earned the nickname Zamalek in 1984 when during an African Champions Cup second round match against the Egyptian side, he tracked back and brought down the team’s forward outside the box but the referee pointed to the spot. He would protest alongside his teammates, leading to his sending off, with Gor later suspended from continental matches.

In 1987, he was key to Gor winning their first and only continental title to date following their Mandela Cup (now CAF Confederation Cup) victory.

In the semi-final against Esperance of Tunisia, he scored in a 1-1 draw away after outwitting several defenders to tap home and in the return leg, Gor were on the verge of eliminating following a 2-2 draw, but he delivered a pin-point cross in injury time which was headed home by Peter Dawo to hand K’Ogalo the win.

Austin Oduor

Popularly known as Makamu, Oduor started out as a midfielder before later switching to defence. He joined Gor in 1980 but found it hard to break into the first team, having to deal with bench roles for the better part of the season before he got his chance later that term after an injury to key winger Nahashon Oluoch.

It is during that time that he earned the nickname Makamu. He was handed a start in midfield ahead of Gideon Hamisi as Gor took on Bendel Insurance of Nigeria in the African Champions Cup in a match K’Ogalo were not expected to win. However, the Kenyan side pulled off a 2-1 victory in Nigeria, Makaumu scoring the winning goal after George ‘Best’ Yoga had netted the first.

He would become a mainstay into the team until 1982 when he made a switch from midfield to defence. His switch was enforced by circumstances as Gor had lost Oluoch and Sammy Owino who had gone for studies abroad, Paul Oduo, Allan Thigo and Tim Ayieko had retired while Andrew Obunga, Charles Ondiek, Mike Ondiek and George Ayuka were suspended.

The team was also ravaged by injuries and with dependable sweeper Mike Ogolla out, Oduor was forced to take over the role since he was good at anticipating and intercepting passes while he possessed good ball playing skills.

At the time, a sweeper was necessary as he was the last man in defence who did not have marking roles but set the offside trap and Oduor was good at this plus his long passes were pin-point. He would play in defence until his retirement and won three straight league titles with Gor from 1983-1985. Another who is classified among the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.

John 'Bobby’ Ogolla

Best known as the ‘six-million-dollar man’ after a superhero character from a popular TV series, Ogolla is one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time. He was a no-nonsense defender whose physical strength was used to good effect to outmuscle opponents.

He had a distinct dressing style, one sock pulled to the knee and another to the ankle, and was a dead ball specialist who possessed a rocket shot, scoring crucial goals for Gor from free-kicks.

He joined Gor in the late 70s and reached the 1979 African Cup final before claiming it in 1987, won CECAFA Cup in 1980, 1981 and 1985 as well as five Kenyan league crowns in 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987.

Ogolla formed great defensive partnership with Austin Oduor which was hard to break and a joy to watch for the fans in the early to mid-80s.

Peter Dawo

A revered forward, who was renowned for his heading prowess, Dawo enjoyed a cultlike following during his two stints with Gor Mahia, leading them to the 1987 Mandela Cup win.

Dawo joined Gor in 1987 from MTI and helped them win the league and cup double that year before putting the icing on the cake with the continental title.

During the Mandela Cup, Dawo emerged top scorer with 10 goals, nine of them headers, having come through for Gor in decisive moments of the competition such as when he scored a last-minute headed winner as K’Ogalo edged out The Dragons of Benin 3-2 in Nairobi after a 1-1 draw away when it had looked like the visitors were going through on the away goals rule.

To show just how a big impact he had, Dawo was shortlisted for the 1987 African Player of the Year and finished seventh, showing why he makes the list of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.

He left Gor in 1990 for Egyptian side Arab Contractors before switching to Oman with Al-Seeb the following season but returned to K’Ogalo for the remainder of the 1991 campaign, winning the domestic league, after which he retired.

Peter Otieno 'Bassanga’

Bassanga was a utility player who would feature in defence and midfield. In defence, he was a no-nonsense player with great pace and physicality, showing why he is among the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.

He was fundamental to Gor’s successful period in the 1980s, playing both as a left-back and a winger. He played a key part as Gor won three straight league titles from 1983-1985 and was also a member of the side that won the 1987 Africa Cup Winners Cup.

Goerge 'Fundi’ Onyango

Fundi joined Gor in 1984 and earned the nickname because he was the architect of many great moves for the team. His prowess makes him one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.

He had excellent vision and was a good passer of the ball, blessed with a thunderous left foot. He enjoyed great success with Gor from the mid to late 80s, winning three league titles as well as the continental crown in 1987.

Charles 'Engine’ Otieno

The Kisumu-born star joined is one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time having joined the club in 1983 and with a combination of great fitness, good ball control, tireless running, superb passing and scoring, his coach Lens Julian termed him the engine of the team, hence the nickname.

He left Gor for Breweries (now Tusker FC) the following year but did not enjoy his stint there as K’Ogalo fans would constantly harass and abuse him in an effort to make him return.

They got their wish in 1987 when he went back ‘home,’ helping them win a treble of league, cup and continental title. 

Kabanze, as he was also known, had a big impact that season, with his incredible volley in the Moi Golden Cup final, earning Gor a 2-0 win over AFC Leopards after leaving Ingwe goalkeeper John Busolo bewildered. That moment, plus much more, before and after, endeared him to the club supporters, making him one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time. 

John Okello 'Zangi’

The year Engine joined is the period another Kisumu lad in Okello signed for K’Ogalo, having starred for Kisumu Boys in the 1981 school games as they pushed much-feared Kakamega High School before losing on penalties.

Zangi had a combination of speed and deft touches that left defenders for dead plus his ability to feint and deceive opponents to create space for his teammates was impressive.

He was key to Gor’s success in the mid and late 80s while his defining moment came in July 1983 when he scored two goals as K’Ogalo beat English Premiership side Norwich City 4-2 in the friendly tie. Indeed, one of the ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.

Allan Thigo

Thigo is considered among ten best Gor Mahia players of all time because he was arguably the best playmaker Kenya has ever produced. An astute passer with great vision, he would command the entire field from box-to-box with great authority.

He was a key performer as Gor won the title in 1974 despite a massive exodus and was a mainstay in the team when K’Ogalo claimed the league unbeaten in 1976. He was a player-coach when the club reached the Africa Cup final in 1979. He played a similar role when Gor won the CECAFA club crowns in 1980 and 1981.

Maurice Ochieng 'Sonyi’

Revered for his scoring prowess, Ochieng joined Gor when it was formed in 1968 but switched loyalty a year later when he was offered a job by Kenya Police after he had scored 14 goals in a friendly game against the law enforcers.

Later, Ochieng’s Police faced Gor Mahia and drew 1-1, the striker scoring for his side, and it was after that when over 200 supporters stormed Makongeni Police line where he was staying to demand that he returns to Gor after tormenting their club.

A senior Gor official would later offer him a better paying job at Extelecoms on condition that he rejoins the club and after a protracted tussle with Police, he returned to K’Ogalo in 1975.

He would lead Gor to the title in 1976 went they went the season unbeaten, scoring 26 goals, the record that has stood to date. He won another title in 1979 before he retired in 1982 to take up a coaching role at the club, helping them to the treble in 1987.

His record is under threat from Gror Mahia youngster Benson Omala but that will not take away his status as one of ten best Gor Mahia players of all time.