They disputed a flick awarded to the visitors in the dying minutes of the match. Winners of the match were to accompany Telcom to the Africa Club Championship that the latter were defending.

The rivalry witnessed during those days between Kisumu Day and neighbours Kisumu Boys; and St Teresa’s and Kisumu Girls High School is not there anymore.

The four schools have, for a long time, acted as a reservoir for clubs and the national teams.

Among international players from the two schools include Maurine Ouma, the late Judith Achieng, Eunice Dola, Georgina Kochieng (goal keeper) and Judy Owino.

Kake has been at the forefront in identifying and promoting young talent by recruiting players for Simba Club.

Apart from schools’ competitions, the only venue in the region where hockey activities take place on weekends is at Simba Club grounds.

"I started supporting hockey activities in Kisumu in 1979, but it has not been easy," said Kake.

He added Simba Members’ Club has contributed to the survival of the team and their encouraging performance in the Premier League.

"There are times when I have to use my money to support players because of my love for the sport," said Kake, one of the top strikers the country has ever produced.

Club captain, Cliff Okello, says they give tribute to Kake saying the fate of the team lies with him. "Kake is a mentor to us and players of other clubs in the league. He is exemplary," said Okello.

Kake says Simba Club alone cannot cater for the rich talent in the region. "We need three or four clubs in the Premier League to absorb players leaving school," he added.

He said poor hockey standards could not attract corporate sponsorship. "Kisumu can do better than Nairobi because there is a lot of talent here and we only require sponsors to nurture the players," he added.

Kake laments local fans are reluctant to support Simba Club at their league matches. "Very few fans turn up for our local fixtures despite the home ground being located in town," he added.

Most of the former female internationals interviewed expressed regret over the low standards of hockey.

"In 1990s women’s hockey standards were at par with the men’s. At times we would play friendly matches with men’s teams and lose by either a solitary goal or settle for a barren draw," Maureen Ouma, a former international, recalled.