Praise for legendary goalkeeper Siang’a as he joins football greats

KENYA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME James Siang'a, (seated second left) with his wife and son, former Harambee Stars and Kenya Breweries goalkeeper and Kenya Football Hall of Fame co-convener Duane Cummings from USA (seated left) after he was inducted into the Kenya Football Hall of Fame in Nairobi on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

The local sports fraternity was united on Saturday to celebrate the induction into the Kenya Football Hall of Fame, of the legendary goalkeeper James Siang’a during a modest yet colourful ceremony in Nairobi.

Siang’a, a trailblazer of sorts in nurturing sports talent, starred for Kenya at her first ever Africa Cup of Nations in 1972 and led Tanzania’s Simba SC of CAF Champions League group stages, a first and only to date in East Africa.

His vision for then struggling Gor Mahia in 2008 has culminated in three straight Kenyan Premier League titles and several local Cup honours.

Besides handling the national team, Harambee Stars, Siang’a, 64, has launched football careers for a myriad of players dotting the world today while at such clubs as Kenya Breweries, Utalii and Simba SC among others.

Former AFC Leopards and Harambee Stars striker Joseph Jesse ‘JJ’ Masiga and former Cargo (Bandari) and Kenya defender Ricky Solomon led an outpouring of plaudits at the ceremony.

“He deserves the honour and perhaps he should have been the second recipient behind my long-time friend and team-mate Mahmoud Abbas,” JJ Masiga said.

Joe Kadenge was the first inductee in 2013 and Abbas, last year.

“He is a true legend. He was and still is held in awe and mystery,” said Solomon, now the chairman of Coaches Association as the audience burst in fits of laughter when he described Siang’a steely hands.

“You know he played for Kenya Breweries and legend had it that he would pop open a beer bottle top with his thumb! After a match, we would all line up to have a feel of these mysterious hands. Indeed they were a handful,” Solomon said to a delirious applause.

GOOD ATTITUDE

Kenya Football Hall of Fame, co-convener Duane Cummings from Georgia, Atlanta USA described Siang’a’s influence as “having touched the world”.

“I first heard his (Siang’a) name 19 years ago. I noticed the unique and inspiring attitude of Kenyan players in different US Universities where I coached and couldn’t help but ask why. They all mentioned the man seated here with us.

I think he is an extra-ordinary person,” Cummings said.

The chair of Kenya Footballers Welfare Association, Innocent Mutiso, praised Siang’a’s vision saying it is worth emulating.

“Some of us didn’t watch him play. Neither did he coach some of us yet his influence transcends past and present generations,” Mutiso said.

Yet Siang’a, flanked by his wife and son, remained as cool as a cucumber, only roused into defending his laid back attitude instead of claiming his front row space in local football saying, “My CV is in the public domain both as a manager at Kenya Breweries and in football world. Nobody cares to put to use my wealth of knowledge.”

“But I am happy coaching small children than having to sit in a committee with a sugarcane farmer to discuss matters football,” he said.