The year 2017 was a successful one for Gor Mahia on the pitch under the tutelage of English coach Dylan Kerr.
Gor reclaimed the Kenyan Premier League title from Tusker, who grabbed the trophy in 2016, and thought that their stellar show was to be recognised at the 2017 KPL awards gala.
In December 2017, a number of their players and officials were nominated in an award organised by sports journalists, and in deed, their striker Meddie Kagere was voted the Most Valuable Player. George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo was named the Midfielder of the Year while Musa Mohammed won the Defender of the Year.
To K’Ogalo fraternity, this was expected to be an appetizer ahead of the KPL awards until they were met with a shocker! One player in Zoo Kericho midfielder Mike Madoya scooped a record four awards, including the MVP.
Apart from their team manager Jolawi Odongo, none from the Green Army bagged a trophy — and coach Kerr is lost for words.
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“I really wonder why everyone hates Gor Mahia. I just don’t understand how we didn’t get recognition that I thought we fully deserved after winning the league in such a good way although I’m told people never wanted to vote for me because I was not present,” he says.
He adds, “I didn’t vote because I had training to oversee, so I sent Coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and of course our captain. But obviously, a team top of the league and whose player was the second top scorer, deserved an award. I have realised that everybody has always had a negative story about Gor Mahia despite being one of the strongest sides in Kenya.
The former Simba coach thinks the whole process of awarding the best players, teams and officials is faulty and that “maybe the entire process should be changed. Maybe it should not be a voting process.”
As he prepares to record yet another super performance in 2018, he is thankful for the one award they received asserting that under him, Gor Mahia will always strive to be the best.
“One good thing is that my players accepted the decision and thankfully they gave the Team Manager award to our own Jolawi Obondo and that was a good gesture. At the end of the day, we’ll be out to prove our worth again this season by sweeping everything,” he said.
A top Gor Mahia official, who sought anonymity, says it is alleged that a group of people colluded with one player to pile money on his name so as to get their shares afterwards at the expense of duly qualified players. He describes the MVP as a ‘completely average player who never deserved the award.’
“How can the champions (Gor Mahia) not win anything? How can only the team manager-who never played football on the pitch win something?” he asks revealing that, “people always try to put money where they can go syphon it out later so that the player just becomes a conduit. The young man was just a conduit.”
KPL Chairman Daniel Aduda, on his part says he only watched the final outcome and that he had no control over the winners since he was never a voter.
“I really don’t know what to say on this because I never had a hand in the entire process. The mandate was given to the coaches and team captains. I also watched what they came out with because I had no control over their decision completely,” he said.
Speaking as a foreign-based follower of Kenyan football, George Achar, who works and lives in the US, says K’Ogalo deserved more wards going by their 2017 record. “I’m a keen follower of the Kenyan Premier League football and I think Gor Mahia performed exemplary well in 2017. They surely deserved at least three awards at the gala.”
But all these is mere jealousy and unwarranted hatred according to Mike Madoya, who won the MVP, Fair Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year and New Player of the Year awards. “Gor Mahia fans had great expectations and they are definitely disappointed for losing out on the top awards. I believe the voting process was very fair and that I won the awards fairly. Let those whoever is aggrieved work hard for their chances in future.”
He also confirmed to the Nairobian that he has so far received all the cash with an explanation that he will work extremely hard in 2018 to retain some of the titles.
“I have received all the cash and everything is sorted now. My aim is to work harder so as to keep my status by the end of the season. Offers are knocking from all corners including from a Zambian club but I have decided to stay at Zoo Kericho for at least one season so as stabilize more,” he said.
