What George Bwana did not tell fans
Courtesy of EA Standard
it was bold and timely for Gor Mahia Secretary George Bwana to address the nation last weekend.
Few officials talk to the public in times of distress, the type that K’Ogallo has sustained since the season started. Yet the public always want to get to the bottom of issues. That way, they can make sober and informed judgement and, where possible, offer solutions.
Bwana was in our studios at The Standard Group Centre last Saturday. As expected of a competent secretary, and ostensibly a spokesman, he gave assurances that the club is in good hands and the future looks pretty good.
Whether those assurances are enough to cool simmering tension and angst among the club’s following is only a matter of conjecture. By and large, I think Bwana only glossed over the real issues affecting the club.
The problems at Gor are more complex than what the secretary chose to tell the public. But again, as he assured the public, I hope they will be resolved in good time so that the legion of the club’s fans can rest assured that their club won’t be relegated.
In times like these in any organisation, it calls for an honest approach to resolving problems rather than adopting diversionary methods, if being economical with the truth.
Publicly, the problems started with the sacking on March 5 of the entire technical bench under Anaba Awono, assistants Ken Odhiambo, Zablon Otieno, and Julius Owino; team managers Jolawi Obondo and his assistant Maurice Ouma ‘Ole Tunda’ after the club was eliminated from the Confederation’s Cup by the CAF Confederation Club Ferraviario de Maputo.
This was followed by a string of poor performances in the Kenyan Premier League.
Club legend John Bobby Ogolla was brought on board with former Ulinzi Star player Tom Ogweno as team manager.
Before any deal was concluded, Croat Zdravko Lugarusic was hired to steer Gor from the murky waters. The performance has not improved, but with time and once he has gelled with his charges and has learned and understood the situation, he should save them from further agony.
But it should be understood that the club need to get things right. Most of these things are basic. The most important is the playing unit.
The club must get players under tight grip and I don’t mean by dictatorial means: By simply making them happy. By honouring their word. About a dozen players are grumbling, some loudly, over unpaid signing fees.
The club will be in more trouble when some players realise their colleagues’
financial demands have been met, while theirs are still on the pending file.
Bwana and the Gor office will have to move fast to fulfil their side of the bargain. A club’s playing unit is the most important and once it is at peace, results will come pronto. Fans will be happy and violence or fan trouble will not be experienced.
It looks like Awono’s approach of head hunting players from established clubs has not been as successful as identifying raw talent from the grassroot as the club was accustomed to in years gone.
Apart from being expensive, it brings players who make unrealistic demands, which drain resources from the club’s kitty.
Ogweno will have to learn a few lessons from former TM Jolawi that real talent is to be found in the village rather than from established clubs or relegated sides.
For who knew George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo, Dan Makori, Fred Otieno, Nicholas Odundo, Duncan Owiti, John Kiplangat, Brian Osumba, Roy Okal, and Gradus Ochieng’, and others, before they were fished from clubs in back water areas like Nyarombo FC (Kanyamwa), Migori Youth, Nyarombo FC, Gunga FC, Kisegi, Milimani FC (Homa Bay), Oyugis and such like places?
Get basic things right and avoid blame games. Officials should not look over their shoulders and start blaming colleagues or past officials for the problems facing the club.
They must face them head-on and get this great club back on its right footing. I cannot countenance a Kenyan Premier League without Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards.
The ink had not dried as per my last comment in the last topic. More circus to follow. The players who have not been paid their signing fee are the ones who came without a connection. Those who did were paid before signing and salaries are paid pronto. You know why.
I know why. If you can’t pay then don’t hire. Once you have gone ahead and hired then you must pay. Simple.
Was that sponsorship deal not supposed to cover emoluments?
A huge budget was made when it was envisaged that we would be in the continental campaign for a long haul. Fund raisers were then conducted to that end. Unfortunately our continental sojourn was cut short. Someone please use that money to clear all these overheads and clean the house.
Well surely apart frm BB none of the names mentioned have made a real impact at GM but ua point is noted.The best thing this is 2 set up sound structures/operation manuals in GM from top to btm.Do u nid 3 vice chairmen?Pls consult human resource experts to set a salary/incentive/code of conduct structure 4 the players n GM members,squad size,tech. bench positions shld be permanent only the holders shld change.Had the EC done this over the past 2 years K’galo wld now be a force in the region/Africa
This article,raises very serious issues.But since we are focusing on a very crucial match in a few hours’ time.Lets’ focus on the match,then we shall react on this after the match,together with the post match analysis.
@ ODUOR 12 you are spot on. A good example is Victor Ochieng of AFC whose talents were rotting playing with estate teams in Nairobi. Several times his attempt to join GM or SOFAPAKA were thwarted by respective clubs officials because of this pay back thing.
I noticed the boys talent several years back when he used to offer his services during inter media soccer tournaments. On many occasions we floated his name to the ole tundas and Jolawis of GM but they turned a deaf ear because of this believe that Nairobi based talent do not fit in their plan. Now Vicky left for chemo breathed fire and is an asset at TOK KO ODERA AKANG’O. We should ask ourself why despite several disparate attempts by his father one Ochieng’ SONYI the leading legends in this club to try and convince him otherwise did not materialize. The answer lies with comments on post 3 by ODUOR 12.
Otherwise all the best today for my beloved K’Ogalo and our rotten Potatos! Best of luck!
IT IS NOT THE EFFORT THAT IS NORMALLY REWARDED BUT RESULTS
Before I get in to pray at Dominion Chapel Ministries International, Kiserian, I wish to say the following.
We have all along articulated on this blog what we want for our great club, K’Ogalo. We have even elected able men and woman to the Executive Commmittee at the AGM whose mandate is to capture our aspirations and deliver it on our behalf.
I have said we have a dream. And this dream is to be the most successsful club in Kenya and East Africa.
Our first duty as fans is too provide he club with the moral and financial support. Our fanbase is unrivalled now in Kenya. Our revenue, in all practical purposes must also grow in tandem with the evergrowing fans. We feel letdown when our monies cannot be accounted for by people we have entrusted this responsibility.
I am personally started to loose faith in our officials who cannot meet the financial obligatins of our players. These should something of the past to club such as K’Ogalo which has raised the integrity bar so high. Soon, wewill see our club running into legal troubles with the players. I do not wish to see our club take that root. It is my hope the officials put the interestof this great first before self. I promise to do my part as a fan.
G Bwana pls respond 2 this article 4 it is grave with serious repercussions.
If EC can’t pay players do u c us retaining coach Zdvarko beyond 2 months,another CRISIS inwaiting.As said b4 EC shld publish GMs accounts quarterly ACCOUNTABILITY N TRANSPERANCY is the only way out.Thx O.T ave never grasped Victor’s issue until 2day.What of the other mysteries,the persistent injuries to Lavasta,Hugo,Ngwa,Kip,Wekesa not 2 mention our inability 2 score penalties esp. in matches with monetary rewards.GOD AVE MERCY
so the players are not being paid!!! so why have this never come out officially. and why have the affected players never forcefully brought it out. a corrupt technical bench can only be in place coz of a equally corrupt EC. the media loving sec.gen has no idea what he is doing, and this is basically coz of the background he comes from. these are guys who are simply elected by the stone fans purely on emotion. thats why they came in with such plans of building stadiums.the croatian i believe has no camps within the players. even though i back his tough stance , he should also find out why some of the players are not performing then give advice to the EC. a corrupt EC talking to the players will amount to nothing. once you take a bribe then that’s it. once a policeman takes the daily 50/- from the matatu then the crew do as they like since the cop risks exposure. if the croatian starts to play to the galary just coz he is from europe then he is no better than the adidas guys. fans should hold the EC accountable. but i keep on reminding u that this will be difficult so long as elections are held on emotion and every branch goes out to put its guy on the tech bench via the EC. thats why this blog has numerous coaches, this guys in some way also influence their guys in the club since its them who put them there. its my belief the sec.generals are this calibure. no plan, but they keep reacting to what the fans make noise about.u cannot manage on reaction!!fans go for the EC’s neck, croatian coach, find out the reasons some players cannot perform then present to EC. if they are crap for real then release them but don’t make the mistake of playing to the galary the sec.gen style. a coach is above all a manager. and thats they deserving name they have in europe. so if u mange a firm u have to find out how it works. don’t just assume the player will ran yet the landlord has thrown out his things from the hse.the coaches ‘firm’ is the players.otherwise let ‘barcelona’ bring on BB, the results will still be a disaster.so players TELL THE COACH UR PROBLEMS or simply get lost.a players post is not PnP, if u have no guts to talk then it’s u the adidas guys will come for!!
Yes my dear fans EC can fire technical bench and the players at will because they are the ones who employes them on our behalf. Because we as fans we are the ones who employes this non performing EC, it is out turn to fire them now.We should have been attacking Gattuso for nothing. He might have discovered that this EC is taking GM no where. Our officials look more like fans unionists.
They must go!
just amazing and i am lost for words. Dear God you stand for the truth and not lies. You dont stand for darkness rather light and on this day i beg of you to expose and bring everything to light. Shame the devil and expose the things done in darkness be it those who believe in sourcing for sorcerers in this club or those who rob the club in daylight thinking we are fools. Father surely i do deny myself and pay Ksh 500 per game why coz i believe it goes a long way in helping the team while i support my beloved club. Why then shld someone rob from your son? Jehovah i pray that you expose and shame them i pray these things in Jese name. Amen, Amen and Amen.
Interesting read from Michezo Afrika. Leopards fans have come up with ‘OPERATION SAIDIA SEMEJI’ to cheer Gor to victory today. Whatever their motive, ie to help them to the title, lets welcome them. Once we take off we go back to our traditional rivalry.
brilliant idea by the mashemejis. welcome your support.
I think its important to respect and appreciate those genuinely electrd into office. We are too quick to point fingers and mat not appreciate that the new technical bench wills soon start delivering. Patience pays. Lets not act on rumours about players but encourage them to talk through the coaches or captain to the EC if they have genuine areas of concern.
We have won todays match through good positioning,team tactics and philosophy. Keep it up Kogalo!
to begin with, who is the author of this articale? am most alarmed by such things coz they are the ones causing tension in our so loved team GOR MAHIA, is he acting for some players and if so, why dont he come out in the open and tell people. to me this article has no base,i challenge the author to come out openly. i think admin should not allow such people to write such articles coz if indeed he has a clear motive which to me looks like portraying the current office negatively, to me, BIG NO
Adidas vs Legea fans. Die hard EC supportes vs those who question happenings in the club. Why then do we complain about hooligans? If its wrong it is whether by ec or fans.
i read this article i feel like i should be laughing this club deserves more that the treatment we are getting from its top brass i am on my way back to zanzibar a happy man let us all join hands and support kogallo as much as we can but let ius do things more professionally goooddddddddddddddd win for us
Lets join hands to bring our team back on track.Let us also give the coach and the technical team ample time. I dint hear anyone saying he wants to be coach so lets give Logarithm or anaitwa nani? yack! whatever, peace of mind. I beleive in evryone doing his or her part. I suspect that the reason as to why we are here is because some officials were bribging their kinsmen into the playing unit instead of proffessionally leaving the work to the Teacnical bench. Halafu on the receiutment. We have good players from aroung Ugunja so the scouts should not just reach Gem area and go back.
I I’m not surprised by what’s happening, corrupt technical bench can only be in place coz of a equally corrupt EC. The spokesman’s (sec.gen) has failed us not once but many times. He has no idea of what he is doing; the Croatian i believe has no camps within the players. Even though i back his tough stance, he should also find out why some of the players are not performing then give advice to the EC. its my belief the sec.generals caliber. Has no plan, but they keep reacting to what the fans make noise about. We pay a lot of money to the club plus the milk sponsorship, where does all this go?u cannot manage on reaction!!fans go for the EC’s neck, a coach is above all a manager. And thats they deserving name they have in europe. so if u mange a firm u have to find out how it works. Comment further bwana