Gor Mahia’s Legendary Night Running Expedition In Kisumu.
In mid-2015, the legendary Gor Mahia Football Club was on a quest for invincibility. This journey led them to face two tough away fixtures back-to-back within a mere 72 hours. Former Gor Mahia assistant coach, Frank Ouna, reminiscing about this thrilling tale, took to social media to share an amusing incident that sheds light on the humorous side of the invincible’s expedition. The first destination was Awendo, the home of Sony Sugar, then coached by the youthful Salim Babu. The memories of facing Home Stock Ouma, fondly known as Obange, and the enigmatic Obanda made this match a double grudge encounter. Frank Ouna mentions an infamous 2-2 abandoned match from two years earlier that was awarded to Gor Mahia. In 2014, they had also emerged victorious against Sony Sugar in Nakuru, despite playing on a waterlogged pitch during a continuous downpour. The memory of Ali Abondo’s spectacular free-kick goal that sealed a 2-1 win for Gor Mahia in those challenging conditions still lingered. Next up, Gor Mahia faced Ray Omino’s Western Stima in Kisumu. The match proved to be an extremely difficult one for the invincibles, but the players fought valiantly. Following the game, the team retreated to their hotel, graciously hosted by Governor Ranguma. Frank Ouna humorously adds that Luo Governors had a tendency to outdo each other with their hospitality, playfully referring to it as “Pesa mit”, money is good. With their next match scheduled seven days later, the players were given a night off to enjoy themselves. However, there was a condition: they all had to be back at the hotel by 5 am for breakfast and a 6 am departure for Nairobi. Interestingly, the hotel had a special performance by the leading Ajawa luo crooner, Opija Ka Elly, that evening. The atmosphere was electric, and the dancing and music enticed everyone to join in the celebration. Amidst the lively scene, one of the Gor Mahia players, Madowo, had his eyes locked on a beautiful lady from Kisumu. Unbeknownst to him, the lady was already married, and her cop husband was also present in the crowd, keeping a watchful eye on her. The two couldn’t resist each other’s allure and decided to elope to her house, located just behind the team hotel. In a comical twist of events, while they were engaged in private matters, the husband sensed his wife’s disappearance and stealthily entered their home. Madowo, reacting quickly in true footballer fashion, put on his undies and football shorts as makeshift attire. He managed to push the husband aside and made a swift escape. The husband, determined to catch the fleeing player, chased after him, even threatening to shoot. Madowo, however, was not one to give in easily. He eventually mingled with the Ohangla crowd and vanished into thin air, leaving the cop frustrated and empty-handed. In his hasty escape, Madowo left behind his jeans with his wallet and passport in the “crime scene.” It would take months of intervention from high-ranking policemen and the Kisumu Governor’s office for Madowo to retrieve his misplaced documents. To stay incognito and avoid any potential confrontations, he checked in with a new alias, Michael Madowo, whenever they returned to that particular hotel.
