Owino Kempes: Football legend, seeking FKF seat

Sammy Owino Kempes was on a live debate on TV last week as he seeks to be the FKF president. Many people may not know the Ziwani born prodigy who dazzled Kenya’s football fans and East Africans from the late 1970s to early 1980s. There is something about nicknames given to Gor Mahia players, they come last like surnames. Mario Kempes was the Argentinian national football team sensation at the 1978 World Cup.

The attacking midfielder scored a brace in the final to help Argentina beat Netherlands 3-1. He won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in that World Cup. Only two other players have managed such a feat. A lanky Sammy Owino made his debut for Luo Union FC against Gema FC of Nakuru as a 16-year-old in 1978. Luo Union signed him from Ziwani based Umeme.

He featured in Cecafa Club Championship for Luo Union in 1978, being the youngest player in the tournament.

Playing as an attacking midfielder, Owino’s show despite his tender age earned him the nickname Kempes. The same year he played against Gor Mahia and gave Allan Thigo a run for his money in midfield. Gor Mahia could not resist to sign him in 1979 after he completed his secondary school at Nairobi Technical School. Dan Owino, the Luo Union chairman tried to stop with little success. Gor Mahia paid for his A-Level studies.  

On July 5, 1980, Kenya played Tanzania at City Stadium in a 1982 World Cup Qualifier in match of debuts. Marshall Mulwa was on the touchline in his first match as Harambee Stars coach. Mulwa began Kenya’s national team most illustrious era, albeit regionally, with fresh players that day. Kempes, Joe “JJ” Masiga and Hamisi Shamba adorned the national team colours for the first time that afternoon.

Masiga and Owino Kempes kept Taifa Stars goalkeeper Juma Pondamali on toes as they tormented his goal with shots after shots. Kempes scored a brace as Kenya defeated Tanzania 3-0. They could not hold onto the advantage in the return leg and Tanzania upset them 5-0.

In his first season at Gor Mahia, K’Ogalo fans saw the successor to legendary creative midfielder Thigo “the owner of the field”. Thigo was player-coach for that season. Kempes found a good partner in another teenage sensation Nahashon Oluoch Lule. They would reach the finals of CAF Cup Winners Cup but lost to Cameroon’s Canon Yaoundé. In spite of the huge loss Owino was instrumental in Gor Mahia’s good run in continental football.

Kempes teamed up the experienced Thigo and Ugandan Tim Ayieko in midfield that outplayed the opponents. Gor saw off defending champions Athletic Club Horoya of Guinea in the semi-final.

Kempes headed in the lone goal in the first leg at City Stadium and scored another one in Conakry as Gor won 2-0.

Owino was instrumental in Gor’s good run in Cecafa Club Championships in the early 1980s. In 1980 in Malawi, Gor met arch rivals Abaluhya in the final.

Abaluhya were defending the title they won in Mogadishu in 1979. In Gor’s midfield was Tim Ayieko who was the man of the match assisted by 18-year-old Kempes and Maurice Ouma Ole Tunda. The midfield managed to counter the JJ Masiga onslaught to set up three goals against Abaluhya’s two that were scored by Masiga.

In early 1982, there was a player revolt at Gor when they were taken out of a hotel to camp at Lenana School before travelling to Madagascar for a CAF second leg tie. The chairman cancelled the trip and expelled six players. Kempes and Lule were reprimanded, maybe due to their age.

This marked a turning point in the career of the two youngsters.

Kempes helped Gor win two Cecafa club championships in 1980 and 1981 as well as one Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup with national team in 1981. In 1982, he was invited to Dubai for trials where he spent a month. A scout from the USA watched him play there and agreed to sign him.

Lule had already been signed by University of Alabama. He left for America and studied for a degree in Electrical Engineering.

At the end of 1982, Thigo retired. To fans disappointment, his supposed successor in the team, Kempes, also left for the USA on a football scholarship.

It was a double tragedy for Gor but the club went for Abbas Magongo and George Nyangi Odembo to fill in the gaps in the midfield.

Kempes wanted to come back to Kenya at the end of 1985 but a chance to do post graduate studies kept him in the USA.

His compatriot Lule did his postgraduate studies and returned to teach at Egerton University.

He remained behind and decided to quit playing and work as an engineer which allowed him to acquire a football club in Dallas.

He has been running academies and clubs in America since.