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Gor Mahia are set to face Kenya Police in a clash dubbed the 'Sirkal Derby' this weekend, but this is an account on how the 1987 CAF Cup Winners' Cup champions earned that nickname.
Gor Mahia are set to face Kenya Police this weekend in a clash that has now come to be dubbed as the ‘Sirkal Derby’.
Most people will thus start wondering how Gor Mahia, a team with no affiliation whatsoever to the government is also nicknamed ‘Sirkal’.
The clash itself makes sense, considering Kenya Police are the Law Enforcers, while Gor Mahia are head and heels over other clubs in terms of their success.
But why is the clash called that, and more importantly, why is Gor Mahia - also nicknamed K’ogalo -, nicknamed that?
Well there are are various theories behind why the team is nicknamed Sirkal, but as you will come to see further down this article, all accounts are literally related to the Kenyan government itself. It is not figurative. It is practically literal!
We will start with a brief history lesson on how the club got its real name, Gor Mahia.
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How Gor Mahia earned its name
The club derives its name from an esteemed medicine man hailing from Kanyamwa location in Homa Bay county, known as Gor.
Affectionately nicknamed Mahia in the Luo language, signifying "magic," Gor gained legendary status for his reputed magical abilities. Consequently, he became widely recognized as Gor Mahia.
In traditional Luo terms, his complete name was Gor Wuod Ogada nyakwar Ogalo, translating to Gor, the son of Ogada, and grandson of Ogalo.
In accordance with Luo customs, individuals are often referred to based on their homestead or lineage. Therefore, Gor was alternatively addressed as Gor Makogalo or Gor K'Ogalo, signifying Gor from Ogalo's homestead.
That is why the club is also nicknamed K’Ogalo, signifying that it is the home of K’Ogalo.
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But why is it also nicknamed Sirkal?
Former Gor Mahia midfielder Allan Thigo claims the late former President Daniel Arap Moi may have played a part in it.
Thigo was branded as one of the best playmakers to ever play for Gor Mahia and such was his prowess that he earned the nickname “Ogango won pap” (Ogango owner of the field).
But among the five nicknames, Sirkal happens to be the most infamous, with Thigo revealing former president Daniel Moi's role in Gor earning the nickname.
“One day Moi the former president of the Republic of Kenya said that all clubs with tribal names should abandon them,” Thigo said in an interview with Tuko in 2019.
" So Luo Union changed to Reunion, Abaluhya Football Club changed to AFC Leopards, did Gor Mahia change? No," Thigo recalls.
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“Why?... Because when Moi was going to Addis Ababa and you know how he used to run on the (airplane) stairs. He paused then he came back and called (Robert) Ouko and his partners and said, ‘Gor Mahia has to remain as Gor Mahia’ so from that time we said we are Sirkal."
Former National Intelligence officer James Khwatenge gave his account on why the club earned the nickname on his Youtube Channel, claiming that the fact that the country’s cabinet was dominated by Kenyans of Luo ethnicity, such as former Vice President Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya led to the club earning the nickname.
“In the mid-60s, there used to be only one Luyha cabinet minister and his name was Otiende (Joseph).
“Otiende was the only minister, but Luos had several ministers. They had the vice president, who was Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. They had Tom Mboya who was a senior minister.
“They had Ochieng’ Oneko, who was a minister for information and broadcasting, so the Luo had about four ministers and the Luos had one minister.
“Otiende was not a football fanatic, but all Luo ministers were football fanatics. Whenever Abaluyha Football Club which today is called AFC Leopards, whenever they met Gor Mahia, the four luo ministers would come but no Luyha minister would come.
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“Those days, a minister’s vehicle used to have a letter CM at the back and the front, a reddish symbol that meant ‘Cabinet Minister’.
“An Assistant Minister’s vehicle had AM and an Member of Parliament had MP. A minister’s vehicle had ‘CM’ ingrained on both its front and back and also used to fly the national flag.
“So anytime AFC Leopards played against Gor Mahia, you would find four vehicles with national flags, while Otiende never attended games, so they would say ‘Serikali yote iko upande ile (The whole government is on Gor Mahia’s side).”
The club’s website itself claims that their first CAF Cup Winners Cup final season in 1979 is the reason they earned the nickname.
Gor Mahia exhibited an unstoppable force, defeating every opponent in their path. They convincingly defeated Nsambya Stars of Uganda and Kadiogo of Burkina Faso before facing the formidable Horoya FC of Guinea in the Semi-Finals.
Despite Horoya's intimidating reputation as previous trophy holders, Gor Mahia, also known as approached the challenge fearlessly. The first leg ended in a 1-0 victory for Gor Mahia, followed by a resounding 2-0 win in Conakry, Guinea.
This triumph set the stage for the Finals against Cannon de Yaoundé of Cameroon. To prepare for the first leg, the team camped in Limuru town, attracting massive crowds eager to witness their training sessions.
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On the eve of the match day, Gor Mahia returned to the city in a grand manner. The team bus, surrounded by a convoy of vehicles, navigated through heavy traffic along Waiyaki Way.
The scene resembled a presidential procession, complete with outriders and a police escort, reminiscent of top government delegations.
Spectators lined the roads, waving and admiring the convoy, replicating the typical response to the President's visits. Fans, amused by the spectacle, enthusiastically urged others to clear the way, treating the moment as if ‘Sirkal’ was coming.
The club went on to lose 8-0 on aggregate over both legs, but they made amends eight years later by win by winning 1987 edition which is the biggest achievement an East African club has achieved at continental. Perhaps, they really are Sirkal in the region, let alone the country.
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