In 1960, the Kenya Football Federation was formed to govern Football in the country. Later the Confederation of East and central African countries was formed to organize regional tournaments.
The 1960s saw the formation of some of the most popular clubs today. Abaluhya (now AFC Leopards), Luo United ( Now Re-union) , Nakuru All stars and Feisal of Mombasa were among the most popular club teams in the early 60s. The late sixties saw the formation of Gor Mahia ,Maragoli FC, and Ramogi FC ( now Lake warriors). Abaluhya represented the majority of football fans from the Luhya tribe. Luo United was the brainchild of the Oginga Odinga and represented members of the Luo tribe from what was the North Nyanza district. Gor Mahia , whose founder members included Tom Mboya represented Luos from what was then South Nyanza district. Maragoli FC represented members of the Maragoli community, a sub tribe of the Luhya. Ramogi FC represented the large Luo community then residing in Mombasa. The tribal element in soccer added to the excitement, tension and rivalry in the local scene. A player crossing to a rival team would be risking death. Notable players from that era include Joe Kadenge, James Sianga, Peter Ouma , Nocodemus Arudhi, Chris Obure and Fred Siranga. Nakuru All stars won the inaugural Kenya National football league in 1963. Luo Union won the second season in 1964 and capped a glorious season by beating The Ethiopian national team which was then the African Nations cup champions.
Kenya first made their appearance in the Nations Cup finals in Cameroon in 1972 – and were unlucky not to qualify for the semi-finals. In the tournament's opening match, Kenya were pitted against the hosts, the Indomitable Lions, who edged them out 2-1.
Harambee Stars drew the first blood when player-coach Jonathan Niva slotted home a first half spot-kick. But the Cameroonians, cheered on by their home crowd, fought back more strongly in the second half to win 2-1.
Harambee Stars then drew their subsequent matches against Togo (1-1) and Mali (1-1). But their chances of making it to the last four took a nose-dive when Mali held hosts Cameroon to a goalless draw.
Leading by example, Niva scored two of three goals Kenya registered – one against Cameroon and another against Togo. The third one was netted by midfielder Jackson Aluko against Mali.
After the Cameroon tournament, the CAF selectors named an All-African squad from the competing teams for a special match against the then World Cup champions, Brazil.
Kenya, despite being eliminated in the quarter-finals, provided one of the players – Livingstone Madegwa. However, owing to the breakdown in communication, the talented ace striker missed out.
Kenya Breweries made history in 1973 when they became the first Kenyan side to reach the Semi finals of a continenetal event. They reached the Semi Finals of the Champions cup, beating Ismailia of Egypt in the quarters.
In 1975, Kenya won the East and Central Africa challenge cup (CECAFA Cup) for the first time ever.
The arrival of German coach Bernard Zgoll in th early severties heraldes a new era in kenyan Football. Besides coaching the national team succesfully, Zgoll set up a series of national youth development centres all over the country. These centres produced several excellent players among them Sammy Owino Kempes, Dick Anyanga, Wilberforce Mulamba, Sammy Taabu, Sammy Onyango and Jared Ingutia just to mention a few.
1978 was the year when Kenya Brewries captured the imagination of Football fans countrywide. That year they won the league comfortably with a star studded line up that included Elly Adero, Binz Mwakolo, Livingstone Madegwa, James Tiema and goalkeeper Mohammed Magogo, one of Kenya's best ever keepers.
In 1979, Gor mahia made history by becoming the first team from East and Central Africa to reach the finals of a continental event when the reached the Finals of the cup winners cup, eleiminating the much fancied defending champions, Horoya in the semi finals. It was the best team ever assebled by a Kenyan club at the time, with quality players at each position. The defence was marshalled by Bobby Ogolla and included Otieno Bassanga, Oduwo "cobra" and Austin Oduor. Allan Thigo quite possibly the best playmaker in Kenyas history controlled the midfield, ably assisted by Sammy Owino Kempes and Tim Ayieko.
Schoolboy, wonderboy Nashon Oluoch "Lule" and Goerge Yoga played on the wings supporting centre forward Andrew Obunga.
Between 1981 and 1983, Kenya won three succesive CECAFA cup titles. That stellar team included among others Mahmoud Abbass in goal, Bobby Ogolla and Josephat Murila marshalled the watertight defence, Jared Ingutia and Wilberforce Mulamba were pivotal in attack while Joe Masiga and
Ambrose Ayoyi formed a formidable strikeforce. In 1981, Kenya beat hosts Tanzania 1-0 thanks to a freekick by James Ouma "jacaranda " to win the first of three successive regional diadems. The following year, Mahmoud Abbass gave a spectacular display of penalty saving to help Kenya beat Uganda in the final played in Kampala's Nakivubo stadium. In 1983, the tournament was held in Nairobi at the newly constructed Nyayo stadium. The home team did not dissappoint there fans winning all games en-route to the title. Ambrose Ayoyi was the top scorer in that tournament earning himself the nickname
"golden boy".
Mahmoud Abbas, the best goalkeeper Kenya has ever produced. Inset is a group photo of harambee stars before they departed for Malawi to play in an Africa cup qualifier.
On the club scene, Kenyan clubs won all except one of the East
and Central Africa club cups between 1977 and 1987. AFC Leopards in particular were dominant. Boasting a galaxy of stars including Josephat Murila, Mahmoud Abass, Francis kadenge, Wilberforce Mulamba and Joe Masiga, they won in 1979, 82,83 and
84, Luo Union were dominant in the mid seventies, wiinning in 1976 and 1977 , with players like Agonda Lukio, Appollo Obota and Charles Ochieng. Gor Mahia won in 1980, 81, and 85. Kenya Breweries won
the tournament in 1987. That stellar Breweries team included the likes of Paul Onyiera,
Douglas Mutua, Aggrey Evayo, and Charles Opondo.
1985 saw the formation of Kenya's first ever professional football team. Volcano United was the name given to the team. Led by national team players like Henry Motego , Hassan Juma , Davis Oyiela , Pitalis Owuor and Norbert Anyira, it went on to rank as one Kenya's premier football teams within a short period. In 1986 , they eliminated AFC Leopards from the inaugural Moi Golden cup by winning 2-0. Only two years later, the club was disbanded.
1987 was Kenya's most successful year. Kenya Breweries started the year by winning the East and central Africa club cup At the 4th All Africa games, Kenya beat continental giants Tunisia 2-1, drew 3-3 with a Cameroun team that featured the likes of Jacque Songoo, Emannuel Kunde, Benjamin Massing, Charles Ntamark and Andre Kana Biyik, beat Madagascar 2-1 and then beat Malawi in a tense penalty shootout which had more misses than scores. Out of the 7 penalties taken by the Kenyans, they only scored 3. Malawi only scored 2 out of 7. David Ochieng in the Kenyan goal gave a clinic in penalty saving, blocking four Malawian attempts. In the final, Kenya lost 1-0 to Egypt in a heartbreaking final.
On the continental scene, Gor Mahia were crowned the winners of the Africa Cup Winners cup, becoming the first team from East and Central Africa to achieve such a feat. That year Gor Mahia had a formidable unit, which provided no less than 10 players to the national team including David Ochieng, Austin Oduor, Abass Magongo, Charles Otieno, George Nyangi, Onyango Fundi , Peter Dawo and Sammy Onyango.
In 1988, both Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards participated in the Africa cup winners cup. AFC Leopards had dispatched FC Kalamu of Zaire 4-1 in grand style. Gor Mahia dispatched BTM of Madagascar winning both home and away legs. As they both made the quarter final, an all Kenya final seemed possible. But it seemed that the continental association had plotted against the Kenyan teams. (The thought of an All Kenyan final was unnacceptable to them). Gor mahia visited Inter Club of Congo and were denied training facilities for 3 days before the match. AFC Leopards seemed destined to eliminate Diamant of Cameroun before losing to a quetionable penalty and having defender Wycliff Anyangu sent off under dubious circumstances.
After a 16 year layoff Kenya had qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. On paper Kenya seemed to have a formidable team that could compete with the best of Africa. They seemed set to reproduce the magic they had produced at the 4th All Africa games a year earlier. They embarked on a tour of Brazil as part of their preparations. It was there that the team came apart. There was intense animosity between members of Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, resulting in a fight in which George Onyango "Fundi" was supposedly stabbed and had to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. The lack of cohesion showed as Kenya were bundled out of the preliminaries losing 3-0 to Nigeria and Egypt before forcing a draw with Cameroun.
At the 1990 event Kenya gave a better performance drawing against Senegal and Zambia before losing 2-0 to the Cameroun team that reached the quarter finals of the world cup only 2 months later . Following that tournament, Mike Okoth Origi, Washington Muhanji and Peter Mwololo were offered professional contracts by European clubs. Muhanji could not make it because he he had a standing contract with the army. Mwololo had already signed for a middle East side prior to the tournament.Okoth however was able to join Belgian club KV Ostende.
Mike Okoth Origi is pictured above in the blue strip of his current club, Racing Genk of Belgium. Besides Genk, Okoth has featured prominently for other top Belgian clubs such as KV Ostende and Harelbeke.
Kenya qualified for the Africa cup of nations in 1992 but it
was yet another disaster . Many of the players were apparently unhappy with coach Gerry
Saurer and decided to give a lacklusture performance in order to have the coach fired.
Kenya has yet to qualify for the tournament since then.
Harambee stars pose for a group photo before their match against Nigeria at Senegal 92, they lost 2-1.
In 1994, Kenya Breweries reached the finals of the Africa cup winners cup. After forcing a 2-2 draw away to DC Motema Pembe of Zaire, it appeared that Breweries were poised for continental glory , only to loose the home leg 3-1. Breweries however salvaged their reputation , by winning the national league, becoming the forst team other than Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards to win it since 1978.
1997 saw a brief revival of the fortunes of Kenyan soccer under coach Reinhard Fabisch. Fabisch assembled a youthful team whose average age was 22 years. The team played extremely well, winning against the likes of Gabon and Guinea while forcing draws away to Cameroun and at home to Nigeria. . That team which included Seleman Rashid, John Odhiambo, Maurice Sunguti, Victor Onyango brought brief joy and hope to Kenyan football fans. Suddenly the whole country became Football crazy. Fabisch was later to resign after disagreeing with KFF secretary James Nyamweya over players allowances.
Kevin Ateku keeps close tabs on Austin Okocha as Kenya Kenya takes on Nigeria in 1997 read the match report here
The late 90s saw emergence of two new , extremely popular clubs both of whom have become among the country's best teams. Coast stars was formed in 1997 to represent Mombasa town and in effect Coast Province. Within two years of its formation , it reached the final of the Moi golden cup, finished second in the National League, and qualified for the CAF cup.
One of the biggest stories in Kenyan Football in recent times
is that of Mathare United FC. The team which based in one of Nairobi's poorest slums and
is sponsored by Bob Munro, started out as a local neighborhood team playing in
youth tournaments locally and abroad. It consisted of street children who would othrewise
spend their days sniffing glue and ramaging through garbage damps. Mathare United has now
become one of Kenya's premier Football teams. In 1999 they won the local cup and in 2000 they made it to the second round of the Africa Cup winners cup and retained the Moi Golden Cup.
Mathare United midfielder, Simon Mulama, tackles John Utakka, the Nigerian forward of Egyptian club side Ismailia. Mathare came aginisingly close to eliminating the fancied Egyptian side during the 2001 Cup winners cup.
?Kenya takes on Uganda at the CECAFA tournament for players of age 20 and below.
At the dawn of the new millenium, Kenya's football still appears to lack direction despite the arrival of a new executive led by Maina Kariuki. The sport is still beset by a myriad of problems notably lack of funds among clubs.
As the year 2000 ended, Kenyan fans were subjected to another surprise when popular German coach, Reinhard Fabisch was hired in a six year contract, with his stated objective being to help kenya qualify for the 2006 world cup which will be held in his homeland of germany. Kenyan fans continued to wait with bated breath hoping that Fabisch will be able to reproduce the magic he produced previously.
The return of Reinhard Fabisch was welcomed by most Kenyan football fans.
Upon his return, Fabisch was able to raise the standards of the national team substantially. Kenya nearly qualified for the Africa cup of nations. Had Fabisch been available from the start of the qualifying campign, Kenya might have qualified. They finished behind continental giants Morocco and Tunisia.
Harambee stars fans expected the world from Coach Fabisch.
Bonaventure Maruti, formerly of Gor Mahia, is seen here playing for top Sweedish side, Orebro, was among the leading scorers in the Sweedish league in the 2001 season. Teammate Paul Oyuga, originally from Alaskan of Malindi, also made a significant impression in the Sweedish league
In 2002, Coach Reinhard Fabisch was once again dismissed by the KFF secretariat. The decision was based on a personal vendetta held by KFF chairman Maina Kariuki ostensibly because of comments made by Fabisch to the effect that the KFF team does not take care of Harambee starts player welfare. This however was the tip of the iceberg. The KFF team led by Mr Kariuki will go down as the worst and most incompetent ever (see articles).
Maina kariuki's incompetence led to a decision by Sports Minister Francis Nyenze to dissolve the KFF secretariat and appoint a caretaker commitee. Nyenze's deciosn was however reversed by a high court judge.
Fabisch did his best to point the stars in the right direction but was once again derailed by a myopic self seeking KFF chairman.
The year 2002 will also be rememebred as the year when perennial giants, Gor Mahia finally hit rock bottom after years of decline. They finished second last in the national league and were consigned to relegation. They however received a reprive from the KFF.