Rachier explains how difficult it is to run this club
In another interview on KTN Rachier discussed the realities of how difficult it is to run this club
Rachier said that winning the league in 2018-2019 was not easy due to Gor Mahia’s congested fixture. This has been the most difficult season in 11 years.
He says that the 2019 side is one of the greatest teams this club has ever fielded because they were able to withstand the congested fixtures.
He once again said that his greatest achievement is winning six league titles, reaching the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederations cup.
Asked if Gor Mahia could ever be a continental champion again, he said that there were numerous challenges especially financial limitations. Gor Mahia lacks the financial muscle of North African players. This enables them to recruit better players.
According to Rachier, the Sportpesa sponsorship is used entirely for salaries. But there are numerous other expenses. he thanked the government for covering the club’s transportation costs to travel all over Africa. Gate collections are sometimes as low as Ksh 6000 per match yet organizing a match costs Ksh 150,000 at a minimum.
On why players appear to be mistreated including delay in salaries and sleeping in airports, Rachier said that delayed salaries happen even in Europe yet European players don’t stage go slows if salaries are delayed for a few days.
He also said his own officials and some fans have been pushing players to go on strike. And these are fans who don’t want to pay to enter the stadium. Fans are poorly behaved according to Rachier because even financially endowed fans often don’t want to pay for tickets.
Yet these same people demand answers on why the players have not been paid. Only 400 people have registered as members.
Due to the dearth of stadia in Kenya, the club is often forced to travel large distances to play matches including in Kisumu.
He is now trying to get the constitution of the club amended to commercialize the club to follow the example of Simba dar es Salaam and St Georges of Ethiopia.
On the travel debacle during the trip to Morocco, he says that the original travel plan required travel from Nairobi to Brazzaville, then to Casablanca then to Berkane. But the Kenya Airways flight was canceled and the team was put in a hotel (Laico Regency) on Saturday at 10 am.
A previous contingent had already left via Qatar Airways and had similar travel difficulties but according to Rachier, that set of players did not misbehave like the second group did.
Rachier now says there is a disciplinary committee that will met out punishments to the players before the start of the next season.
Asked why he could not address the issue of errant officials, he said “We have a constitutional problem which does not allow the Chairman to expel errant officials. “
On merchandise, he said there are cartels that prevent the club from stopping piracy. Therefore the club gets nothing from jersey sales.
The club’s own jerseys are overpriced (Ksh 5000) because they are authentic and are sourced from overseas. The jerseys sold by pirates cost only Ksh 1000.
The new constitution will ensure that the office is not bloated unlike the current scenario where some elected officials are never even seen.
The constitution will be aligned with the sports act and will enable commercialization of the club.
Rachier is adamant that he had done a lot and achieved a lot as club chairman and is not interested in running again.
He is also absolutely certain that he will not be fronting any candidates because if those candidates are unsuccessful, he (Rachier) will be blamed.
He expressed concern that if he left, the club might not be able to retain sponsors.
Rachier admitted that he failed in certain areas. First in the ticketing area, he admits that there is theft of money at the ticketing turnstiles. Cartels have been stealing money and many fans still force their way into the stadium. Vested interests are preventing the club from digitizing ticketing. He also stated that some fans bribe the stewards with as little as Ksh 50 to enter the stadium.
On membership drive, he has been unable to change attitudes of fans who are not interested in becoming fans. He has been unable to persuade fans to become members.
He has also failed to transform the club via a new constitution. Many officials paid their way into becoming EC members by bringing in lorryloads of supporters, many of whom were not members but are still able to vote in club elections.
On hooliganism, he says that the vice is less prevalent due to fan education as well as the introduction of qualified stewards by the sponsors.
But he also said the government must deal with hooliganism because the club cannot deal with hooligans. Many of these hooligans are arrested and released on the same evening. He even met the police commissioner on this issue yet progress has not been made.
Being club chairman is very difficult. Financially it is difficult. You discuss money issues everyday. The club has many creditors. Each away continental match costs Ksh 8 million . Each home match costs Ksh 10 million. Local league matches cost Ksh 4 million.
Running the club is not easy
For those who have delusions of becoming chairman, this is the reality of what they will have to deal with.
Secondly, the chairman must be ready to contend with demagogues who abuse you, call you names, accuse you of being a thief and so forth.
The chairmanship is also time consuming. Meetings, travel, organization. Each match requires a meeting to discusss issues like stadium hire, ambulance, security, handling officials, players on go slow etc.
Finally he thanked stakeholders who have contributed to the development of the club.
At 70 years old he wants to retire to his land in Gem constituency and take care of his farm animals.
There is a very insulting assumption that those who would wish for Rachier to continue if a better merrited candidate fails to avail him/herself are people who somehow have been Scared by Rachier that his exit spells doom for Gor Mahia , contrary to this assumption , All these people , I included , want is certainty and stability , and were a candidate to come up who can ensure the above and show proof that he can pick up from where Rachier has reached and take the club forward , I would welcome that candidate with both arms , let me hasten to add , that in my ideal world , I consider Rachier a failure but practically I dont leave
in an ideal world and hence any decision I make is solely based on pragmatism , a pragmatism informed by the institutional memory I have of Gor Mahia’s leadership/elections and the criteria “members”have to date used to elect the Executive.
Is it a wonder that this democracy we eloquently yap about is what has given us this office that has officials derailing ticketing initiatives , EC member/s selling fake club merchandise , EC member privately registering social media accounts illegally using the club’s name and last but not least EC members who despite knowing the financial constaints the club has , still go ahead to incite the players to strike or go slow and then share the proceeds , Now those are the intrigues in Gor Mahia and for one to have miraculously surmounted all those inhibitions but still get a half full glass is commendable but more importantly the choice of Rachier and how/what he turned out to be considering our mode of electing leaders , was more of luck than by design , proof of this being the calibre of close to 5 or 6 Chairmen we had before then and at best epitomised by the disaster called Erastus Okul who Rachier succeeded .
My hope going forward , and in the absense of a credible alternative , I would pray that Rachier be our chair as we transit from this constitution to the next , I say this because in my opinion and considering the furure of Gor Mahia , I am sure of what Rachier will be bringing to the table moreso with the new constitutional dispensation , so far , anything else is a Gamble .
Within Rachier’s 11year reign , our shemejis have had the change the idealist are demanding of Gor Mahia , if am not wrong I believe they have had close to 4chairmen and using that example points to a fact that change for the sake should never be the sole criteria of making decisions .
Between now and when elections are held , I wait to see and weigh the men and women who will offer themselves to take over the reigns from Rachier and in the absence of a credible alternative , I will stick to the devil I know and critics should not worry because now there are their desired term limits , but all said and done , this conversation would be more useful if those engaging in it are registered members so that you can actualize that change by being eligible to vote , in the absence of that , then you are more of a problem than even Rachier because people like you are the ones who abdicate their obligations thereby enabling brainless hired hooligans to make decisions on your behalf .
People fear change but for me a change is as good a rest.If an ideal candidate presents himself for the top seat and he has ideologies and whatever is needed to take the club forward, then why not?
It may just be time to usher in a new era and people with fresh ideas and better management skills…. so let’s embrace change that is inevitable in any organization!!
@teddy…you have selectively chosen scripts from my post to advance your argument here… How about you now objectively look at the part that says….”whatever is needed to take the club forward…” and by forward am sure you know what I mean. Thank you
Apenjo gi mwolo jokogallo. Jasego me odhi kure? Or is he scouting for players to fill the void?can someone in this forum answer
Also asking the same question, Ere Jasego and way forward to fill the positions of jausenge and Kahata. As for shakava, he can be given to any interested club for free if he so wishes.
@ jamriAmbo, Let sleeping dogs lie. When your cover is blown, you have to go underground for a while. Perhaps this is what may awaken him. Contrary to what people here think, other than what a few of the EC members may be doing in the background, nobody here is privy to the goings on!! AND I REPEAT NOBODY!!
@Oswozo Moziek , my take from your post is “if an ideal candidate presents himself for the top seat and he has ideologies and whatever is needed to take the club forward , then why not “, in other words , as much as you want change , were that change be a downgrade of what we have currently , then you would rather the status quo , and lastly and surely , a change that is a downgrade to what you have cannot be in any way , shape or form be as good as a rest .
Gor Mahia is for me not a joking matter and for that reason and however unfashionable it sounds , am not ready to gamble with it just to be seen to be in tandem with non contextualised terminologies .
The only other Community club , Afc Leopards have been changing Chairmen and I have never seen them Resting courtesy of those changes .
@teddy my response to you is hidden somewhere in the conversations above find it and get back to me
@Oswozo Moziek , in my initial post I wrote thus , “All these people , I included want is certainty and stability , and were a candidate to come up who can ensure the above (certainty and stability ) and show proof that he can pick up from where Rachier has reached and TAKE THE CLUB FORWARD , then I would welcome him/her with both arms”-So @O.Moziek ,I believe that subconciously , semantics aside , we all mean and want the same thing (Progressive Change , Change Bora and not Bora change ), like you inadvertently indicated in your post .
For Rachier to expose the difficulties of running the office is very welcome. Past Chairmen went into office simply for the glory until they met the reality on the ground. It is important that Gor fans thoroughly vet the characters who will present themselves. I do not think that we should be afraid of a new chairman so long as he comes in thru’ the correct written down process, in this case the constitution. Unlike at AFC leopards where elections take place coz “we are tired” or fail to take place coz “we are not tired yet”.
Americans can never fear to follow democratic principals just coz of the sham the same process produces in Kenya. But again, look at the kind of president it has currently given them. The country however remains strong cause of the “document” it has in place.
Cause of his achievements, I do believe that Rachier is still very popular with the electorate. I would actually vote for him. But should the constitution say that he it’s time to go, then lets not hear “Rachier tosha”, “nobody else till 2029” etc.
It is very important that Rachier et team put in place a constitution that will stand the test of time. At the end of the day it’s this document that will manage the club, not the office bearer.
Finally I just want to add is that we are simply engaged on a debate and I, on my part, have not insulted nor insinuated that anybody is corrupt by supporting Rachier. I also support him.
@Dinga, we start with the Sports Act. When did the Act come into place? If it is 5 years ago then ADOR can go for another 5 years. I support ADOR for what he has achieved in Gor Mahia.
@Dinga , if we were to go with the concept of “as it should be ” , then am in total agreement with you for that is where the ideal train concludes and it is what all progressive thinkers must aspire to , on the other hand if i were to go with the concept of “as it is ” , then the ball game changes because now this then becomes the sphere of the pragmatist and while the idealist may not see the need to re invent the wheel and will exhaustively quote examples of where it has worked , a pragmatist will be alive to the fact that it is not a cut and paste job , further to that , a pragmatist would rather apply the notion of dont fix it if it aint broken , IF THERE IS NO CLARITY ON THE WAY FORWARD .
All we have going forward are our experiences and I want to say that our constitution , our mode of doing elections and the calibre of the people who turn out to vote is the same as for Afc and so begs the question , how did Afc get it wrong in all those elections and how did we get it right , was ours by design ? , the answere is no and the fact is that our choice of Rachier and how/who he turned out to be was a consequence of Luck , As for Afc , it was bad luck and if you look closely , from the Vice Chairman , all to the way to organising secretary of Gor in terms of calibre , intent etc is a cut and paste job of Afc Leopards , the difference is in the chairmen , one has been able to cut through the intrigues and the shenanigans while the other has been overwhelmed into submission .
As we approach the new constitutional dispensation , I reckon that post the fact , this is going to be the mosr defining moment in the history of Gor Mahia and yet again the most delicate and it is on this note , that as a pragmatist , I reiterate that I will not gamble and I will rather the known entity who has not succeeded to my liking BUT has not also failed to my deslike .
The next boss is most likely going to be Freed from the shackles of the current EC shenanigans , We MUST make sure we get it right and in the absence of any such guarantees , stay with the known .
CHANGE ni Lazima lakini iwe ni Change Bora sio Bora Change otherwise we will get the complete opposite of the notion of “A change is as good as a rest ” -No way am I gambling with Gor Mahia .
I Jasego Kanyada Head of Technical Committee Gor Mahia Football Club hereby do respond to Messrs Jamriambo and Gilly who have invoked my name as follows:-
1. I am alive and well bro’s just left this site when people like Fred Odhiambo with heads full of Matope and Yugii coupled with reasoning like Diel Animals took over and brought forth Nincompoops and Innuendo’s coupled with diabolical uncouth verbal attacks directed at my person for no valid reason.
2. I have been busy taking Kogalo to greater heights both continentally and locally whilst also overseeing drafting of the new constitution that we converge on 12th at SGM to ratify accordingly
3. My work of Sporting Director continues unabated and as such will bring you the following as replacements/additions to our squad
a) Cliff Nyakeya from Mathare United
b) Nelson Senkatuka-Uganda Cranes Striker currently Afcon Bound
c) Farouk Shikalo- If I convince him to abandon Yanga interest
d) Duke Abuya-Kariobangi Sharks
e) Bernard Ochieng-Vihiga United
f) A right fullback and playmaker
I will endeavour on the above so keep easy and keep on supporting GM. This is not to mean I am back here blogging whilst hallucinating paranoid schizophrenic mercenaries like Fred Odhiambo maraud this site but to let you know I am around.
Finally Ambrose Rachier is not going anywhere until and unless we have established proper structures that can sustain the club for posterity in his absence not leaving a vacuum for Nyangi and Ben Omondi insane dunderheads full of doldrum brains to take charge and mortgage the club like Njugu.
Always Remember-Gor Mahia is Strong because it has Jasego as Defacto Head of the Technical Bench…
Goodbye True K’ogalo followers
Is Nyakeya out of contract at Mathare, what about Shikalo. That Nelson guy looks like a good prospect, very young and promising. If he suceeds then he can be sold later on for a decent amount.
What about departures: Are we renewing Blackberry’s contract given his underwhelming performance this season
@jasego crawl back to the hole you just came from. You can fool others but not me, not now, not tomorrow, NEVER!! I really pity you..such a pitiful wannabe. Go tell it to the birds… They just MIGHT believe your sorry stories. Defacto head of the technical bench my foot!!!
@Fred Odhiambo, now that @Jasego is ‘such a pitiful wannabe’ can you give us some truths/half truths or whatever it is that is going on at our beloved club. Is Shakava going to Zambia, Is Philemon leaving, how about Kahata? Is bernard Ochiend and Otanga joining? If you don’t have answers to that then let us have the ‘lies’ from @Jasego. Even Liverpool know that Salah nd Mane are wanted by Madrid and Barca and that Pogba is needed at Juve. How about us at Gor?
Dan longtime comrade. The bible says that God’s people perish for lack of knowledge so let that not be the case here. Shakava wants out and has agents are looking at Simba SC where he will be cover for an ageing Pascal Wawa and Erasto Nyoni or Zambia but he has 6 more months which unless he buys out the remaining contract he must see out till Dec.Kahata has an offer from Simba but is delaying it awaiting potentially more lucrative offers from abroad and up north. Philemon has a long contract so can go nowhere unless Gor is paid. He is being pursued by Eric Badoer the Wazito FC owner through Collins the TM and so is Shakava. I dont believe the guy is ready to break the bank though or Gor willing to sell players to Wazito their new modern bus notwithstanding they remain a small team in our eyes…Wazito through Collo the TM has offered both Shakava and Philemon 1.2 Million signing bonus and 200k monthly salary. Thank you very much
Also Derrick Otanga is a potential young signing am looking at. Spoke with him yesterday. Expect good additions to our squad my friend
I think sometimes it not worth responding to people hurl insults to others. Just allow them to spew their venom then usiku watalala. I am very uncomfortable with characters who have no solutions to issues or those who just criticize for the sake….
Jasego you are an imbecile
@Wichkuot at this wall we behave maturely. Why abuse a fellow fan. Such comments we leave for the facebook generation which i believe you are not one
@Wichkuot or without, I think the term you have used describes your true and real trait.
How dare u call someone an imbecile without substantiating why? Honestly people are loosing morals
Go back to your slumber.
@teddy… We are on the same boat. Maybe it’s the queens language that is mixing us up hehe
I can see dimwitted cohorts who have synonyms like wichkuot that correctly points to his lack of higher brain function which is perfunctory at best and cannot allow him to engage in basic level academic discourse debate is writing useless one line rejoinders to my high prose acumen. fred odhiambo head coach in GM cannot do anything as they don’t know the team like i do mara en unde malongo they come find proper arsenal with which to work and achieve glory. Sit back and relax let me as Defacto Head of the Technical Bench bring you players who will take us to CL group stage. My absence here is not lying low just working unperturbed by your constant harangue whenever am here. I left so that you can takeover the site and be the opinion shaper or trendsetter as that is why you made me subject to your vitriol and bile. #Angoremahero kendo atiyone….
So why did you come backthen?ama you are back due to “great public demand?” The truth hurts my friend!! Just because we don’t dance to your boring outdated tunes you are mad at us? Haha indeed it’s so laughable. Head of Technical Bench who kept releasing a different line up from what was the actual lineup on the day!? And you expect me to lick your sorry b**t, forget it. Not in this life and certainly not in the next. Just go back to the hole you crawled from. Usituambukize ujinga hapa please!!
@dan…i don’t pretend to have that information you are asking. However don’t get fooled by this wannabe who Mara claims to be the sporting director Mara head of sijui what.. Don’t be gullible. Nobody here is privy to what is going on in the team… We all speculate. Some get it right so get it wrong but believe me nobody here, include this fake guy can give you that info for sure. But as usual wait and see what will be poured out by the know it all waiganjo!!
Omera I run things at Gor things don’t run me. I released spot-on line-ups days in advance and only 1 addition/omission could be necessitated by injury or otherwise or last minute technical consideration depending on opponents tact in fielding. fred it is unfortunate you hold no sway at Gor so please desist competing or throwing idiotic cues at high ranking personel like me. We are not equals and you Must respect me for that is not a choice you have since I have brought Gor from far and wide that a Nondescript entity like you cannot fathom in your lifetime. Your observance of protocol addressing me is of paramount importance
Dream on my friend. Dream on!! After all they say dreams are valid… So you are allowed to dream. Then when you wake up you will find us right here so that you can share your dreams with us hehe
Whatever Jasegos role is at Gor, he is quite spot on especially in terms of transfer dealings at the club and other issues…so unless you can do the same. I suggest you tone down the bile
@Jasego, welcome back and ignore these nincompoops and dunderhead.
They are hitting back like wild dogs in a desolate sahara desert. They are real foolish or stupid person. A person changing names like chameleons which are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards with ability to change color.
Look at them biting @Jasego which confirm their true colours and resemblance of a characters of idiot, fool, ass, halfwit, dunce, dolt, ignoramus, cretin, imbecile, dullard, moron, simpleton, clod, ninny, chump, dimwit, nitwit, goon, dumbo, dum-dum, dumb-bell, loon, jackass, bonehead, fathead, numbskull, blockhead, dunderhead, etc.
@Jasego, please ignore them and let us help Gor Mahia to move forward. I had said earlier that Ambrose Rachier or ADOR is going nowhere.
I think sometimes it not worth responding to people hurl insults to others. Just allow them to spew their venom then usiku watalala. I am very uncomfortable with characters who have no solutions to issues or those who just criticize for the sake….
Admin, with due respect block comments of the likes of Fred Odhiambo & Wichkuot or Without because they are adding no values to the respected bloggers here.
Their comments are very abusive which have no course in any improvement in our beloved Club.They are too boring.