Gor Mahia F.C.

Gor Mahia F.C., commonly referred to as Gor Mahia, is a football club based in Nairobi, Kenya. It is one of the two most popular Kenyan football clubs (the other is local rivals AFC Leopards). They won twelve Kenyan Premier League titles and nine FKL Cups. In addition they are the only Kenyan club to win an African continental title, the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1987. The club came into existence in 1968 as a merger of Luo United and Luo Sports Club (also known as Luo Stars). One of its original founders was politician Tom Mboya. The club's home ground is the Nairobi City Stadium.

The club is steeped in Luo legends and mythology. Gor Ogallo Mahia was a Luo medicine man who was known to possess mystical powers. Mahia is a Luo word which describes wonder and mystery and hence when Gor was formed it was supposed to naturally possess these mystical characteristics of the legend it was named after. Indeed Gor lived to that expectation and even exceeded what many had expected. In its most successful years Gor was invincible and some even regarded the club as the best in Africa. Coupled with the undying loyalty of its supporters Gor still has a potency to rise up from the ashes and regain its lost glory as the truly Mighty Gor.

In 1980, the club was ordered to change its name as part of the disbandment of tribal associations, but the order was rescinded under a ruling that legendary heroes were not tribalistic.^[1]

The club returned to silverware in 2008 when it won the KFF Cup. However, all the other KPL clubs boycotted the cup.^[2]

On October 26, 2011 Gor Mahia in typically dominant fashion trounced Sofapaka to win the 2011 edition of the FKL Cup having dispatched their arc rivals AFC Leopards 6 days earlier.

2011/2012 Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Achievements

• African Cup Winners' Cup: 1

1987

• CECAFA Clubs Cup: 3

1980, 1981, 1985

• Kenyan Premier League: 12

1968, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995

• KFF Cup: 9

1976, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 2008

• FKL Cup: 1

2011

• Kenyan Super Cup: 1

2008.^[3]

Performance in CAF competitions

• CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance

2009: Preliminary Round

• African Cup of Champions Clubs: 8 appearances

• CAF Cup: 2 appearances

1993 - Quarter-Finals

1998 - First Round

• CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 7 appearances

References

External links

• http://www.gormahia.net - Official website
• http://kenyapage.net/gormahia - Unofficial website
• http://www.kpl.co.ke - Kenya Premier League
• http://www.kenyanfootie.com Kenyan Footie - Kenyan Football Portal