{"id":142,"date":"2011-04-25T00:54:28","date_gmt":"2011-04-25T00:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gormahia.net\/latest\/?p=142"},"modified":"2011-04-25T00:59:03","modified_gmt":"2011-04-25T00:59:03","slug":"mixed-luck-for-ex-kogalo-playerscoaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gormahia.net\/latest\/news\/mixed-luck-for-ex-kogalo-playerscoaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Mixed luck for ex Kogalo players\/coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Gor Mahia coach, the popular Gideon Ochieng was recently fired from his position as Coach at newly promoted Congo United. Talk about an unceremonious sacking, Ochieng was sacked via SMS. Club financier, Fadhil Bayusuf, did not have the decency to face Ochieng in person. The message read \u201cCoach you are among the very good coaches here in Kenya<\/a> but by your bad luck you have been unable to shine. I therefore feel it\u2019s better you stepped down so we can give the chance to another coach to continue with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

A devastated Ochieng\u2019 said: \u201cI have just received a text message from the club president himself terminating my services and I think this is a crude way to do things since I have a one-year contract that runs up to the end of December 2011.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that the club chief has treated me this way. I am the same person who registered the club with the Register of Societies when the Kenyan Premier League had refused to recognise them, only to be stabbed in the back after only seven games and, above all, through a text message. I\u2019m yet to talk to him but I\u2019ll consult and take the necessary steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ochieng, popularly known as “Agido”, played at left back for Kogalo in 1994. He was primarily a second team player in a team that featured a rock solid defence with Zedekiah Otieno “Zico”, Tobias Ocholla “Jua Kali” , Sammy Omollo, Paul Ochieng, Charles Ogutu among others. He became Kogalo coach sometime around 2007 when ho took over from Raphael Auka whose brief spell as Kogalo coach ended when he was forced out by irate fans for poor performance. Agido took over and Kogalo fortunes took a turn for the better. They went from finishing 9th in the league to 5th. He was briefly fired after the club elections of 2008 but fan pressure saw his return. However behind the scenes intrigues so the return of former\u00a0 player and team-mate “Zico” Otieno as technical advisor. Confusion amongst the fans and division amongst the players saw the club forced to clarify the ‘pecking order’ which stated that Zico as technical advisor was the head of technical bench. A few months later, Agido was fired from Kogalo for the second time much to the chargrin of fans who saw him as one of the primary reasons for the change in fortunes of the club. Upon his departure, he thanked the club and fans for giving him an opportunity to establish his credentials. After a year hiatus, he was hired by Congo United from where he has now been unceremoniously fired.<\/p>\n

A former coach and player who is currently enjoying a high level of success is Sammy Omollo “Pamzo”. He has led Tusker to the top of the league where they are runway leaders with 21 points. While at Gor Mahia as their head coach in 2008, that Omollo was chased out of office in a manner similar to Auka’s and Agido’s.<\/p>\n

Gor had gone through a string of poor results under Omollo and the last straw that broke the back of the club lovers was a 1-0 loss to Red Berets at City Stadium on April 21, 2008.<\/p>\n

“You are fired,” barked a Gor official to the surprised Omollo soon after the match had ended, as club fans cheered wildly. It later emerged that the rash decision had been prompted by pressure from the demanding Gor fans and that some club officials were not for it.\u00a0 Too late, Omollo, a former international defender, said a coach could not be judged on one result, dusted himself and left the club he had once served so diligently as a player and later coach. Last year Omollo coached Mahakama who were relegated under his watch. Many Tusker fans therefore wondered what was the rationale of hiring Pamzo. He has surely proved them wrong.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sammy Omollo joined Gor Mahia in 1991 after playing for the Kenya U-21 side where he featured alongside another Kogalo signee Allan Odhiambo. He left for Tusker briefly before returning to Kogalo in 1993. That same year he earned a tryout with English second tier side Bournemouth. He says the deal fell through due to intereference from club officials. Omollo was spotted by some\u00a0 officials of Indian side <\/span>East Bengal <\/span>in 1996 when Kenya beat Algeria 3-1 in a World Cup match. They made him an offer. He was reluctant to accept their offer because he thought cricket and hockey were the only games India was well known for. An erstwhile player in a Nairobi cricket club, he decided to take a three-month contract with the Indian club.<\/span><\/p>\n

The year started poorly for legendary Gor Mahia stopper Bobby Ogolla. He has been hired by SoNy Sugar as head coach. At SoNy, he was to team up with former club mate Peter Otieno “Bassanga”. Backroom shenanigans saw him sidelined in favor of MIke Baraza who interestingly has been fired this week.<\/p>\n

Ogolla is considered by many as the best defensive stopper Kenya has ever produced. More about him is covered in a previous article. <\/a>Before SoNy , Ogolla had a stint as assistant coach at Sofapaka and a very brief stint as national team coach.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t