Introduction to Gor Mahia
Gor Mahia is a football club that is based in Nairobi Kenya. Formed in 1968, it is the most succesful football club in East Africa. It is also the club with the most supporters in Kenya.
Origin of the nickname "Kogalo"
The club is named after a legendary medicineman from Kanyamwa location in Homa Bay county whose name was Gor. His nickname was Mahia which in the Luo language means magic because the legend of Gor suggests that he was famous for performing magic. Thus he was popularly known as Gor Mahia. In traditional Luo terms, his full name was Gor Wuod Ogada nyakwar Ogalo which means Gor son of Ogada and grandson of Ogalo. It is common in Luo tradition to refer to a person based on which homestead or lineage he belongs to. Hence he was also known as Gor Makogalo or Gor K'Ogalo for short which means Gor of Ogalo's homestead.
Gor Mahia honours
Kenya national football League champions 19 times: 1968, 1974, 1976, 1979 ,1983 ,1984 ,1985 ,1987 , 1990 , 1991 ,1991, 1993 , 1995, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2019-2020
Kenya cup 10 times : 1976, 1981 ,1983 ,1986, 1987 ,1988, 92, 2008, 2011, 2012
CECAFA cup 3 times 1980 ,1981 ,1985
Africa cup winners cup finalists in 1979
Africa Cup winners cup winners in 1987
Gor Mahia Sirkal
Gor Mahia is also known popularly as "Sirkal" which means The government in the Luo Language. The story of how this nickname emrged was reported by the kenyastar newspaper as follows:
The year 1979 saw Gor Mahia parading a strong team that had the likes of Andrew Obunga, George Best Yoga, Oluoch Lule, Owino Kempes, Otieno Bassanga, Ogolla Machine, Ugandan Tim Ayieko, Oduwo Cobra and the current assistant Coach John Bobby Ogola. Amazing fact was that Allan Thigo, nicknamed Ogango Wuon Pap for his authoritative control of the midfield, was player/coach.
That year Gor represented Kenya in the African Cup Winners Cup and went on riot dismissing any team on its way. K’Ogalo pounded Nsambya stars of Uganda, Kadiogo of Burkina Faso and in the Semi Finals met the mighty Horoya FC of Guinea.
Having lifted the trophy in previous seasons, Horoya was a much feared club and the thought of playing them at the semis was a nightmare. But there was no way Gor Mahia, boasting of a strong squad with the ever-green Dan Odhiambo in goal, was going to be intimidated. Not even by the boisterous Horoya. K’Ogalo won the first leg 1-0 before dismissing the Guineans 2-0 in Conakry to book a date with Cannon de Yaoundé of Cameroon at the Finals.
To prepare for the first leg of the Finals, the team camped in Limuru town where it trained for close to a week. Huge crowds turned up to watch the boys train.
On the eve of the match day Gor travelled back to the City in a presidential way. The team bus was sandwiched in a convoy of vehicles. There was heavy traffic along Waiyaki Way as the convoy snaked into town with outriders and police escort akin to that of the President or any top government delegation.
People stood along the road to wave and admire the convoy-exactly what happened whenever the President was on such trips. Bemused by the scenery, the fans ran around asking road users to clear the way for Sirkal was coming. They felt their team was the government! All this was fun. The fans loved giving their team a presidential treat.
The Green Army, the fans, literally worshipped the team. It was admirable seeing them going round town on major roads singing and dancing in praise of their team then after the game the fans would congregate at Nation House where Mohammed Amin and his crew would get the best shots of pictures to accompany stories written by Hezekiah Wephukulu. In total euphoria one would be tempted to join the singing and dancing; even if you didn’t understand the language.