Dalmas Otieno hopes to inspire a generation of amputee footballers

As Dalmas Otieno settles into his new role as the Kenya National Amputee men’s football team coach, he hopes for a reflection of his over-decade long, remarkable career as an amputee footballer.

The former striker and attacking midfielder got off to a disappointing start in the job, when Kenya on Tuesday lost 2-1 to Rwanda in the second Group “B” match in the ongoing 2023 Africa Para Games in Accra, Ghana.

The match was held at the University of Professional Studies (USPRA) Stadium.

There was no reprieve for Kenya on Wednesday, as they lost 1-0 to Egypt at the same venue in their second match of the inaugural event, which includes competitions in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and sitting volleyball.

More than 30 countries are taking part in the competition where Kenya has also fielded teams in wheelchair tennis and men and women’s wheelchair basketball.

In the men’s football, Kenya was on Thursday scheduled to face Angola in their last pool “B” match.

Pool “A” consists of hosts Ghana, Liberia, Morocco and Uganda.

Even though losses to Rwanda and Egypt denied Otieno, 38, a perfect start into the job, he is excited of his new role, predicting a bright future for the team, owing to its impressive display in the encounters.

Kenya, ranked sixth in Africa heading into the continental showpiece, was previously coached by Clement Otieno.

But he got other engagements in the run up to the competition, leading to the elevation of Otieno to the position on August 20, from his role as the team’s captain since 2010.

“Transitioning from the team’s captain to coach has been a bit challenging because the players are used to me as one of them. But they have started referring to me as the coach and it is just a matter of time before they get used to it,” he said.

It was at Joytown Special Primary School in Thika that Otieno’s journey to the helm of Kenya’s amputee football began.

He was enrolled at the school for his primary education after recovering from a grisly road accident that led to the amputation of his left leg.

The accident happened sometime in 1989 in Thika, when he was five years old.

He sharpened his skills in the sport at Mombasa Secondary School For The Physically Handicapped and in 2010, together with other players, they introduced amputee football in the country.

In 2014, he became the first Kenyan amputee footballer to play professional football in Turkey when he joined Aybesk.

Turkey became his home until 2020, with Adana amputee football club and Şanlıurfa Eyyübiye amputee football club being the other teams that he turned out for in the country.

His achievement included being crowned the 2015/2016 Turkish Division One Amputee League top scorer with Şanlıurfa Eyyübiye.

Then, he notched 15 goals.

He was instrumental in Şanliurfa Eyyübiye’s promotion to the Turkish Super League in 2018.

With Kenya National Amputee men’s football team, Otieno led the side to the 2014 and 2018 Amputee Football World Cups that were all held in Mexico and the 2021 Cup of Africa Nations for Amputees in Dar-es-Salaam.

Kenya finished 19th and 12th in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups respectively.

They secured an impressive sixth-place finish in the 2021 Cup of Africa Nations for Amputees.

With his work cut out in improving the team’s fortunes, Otieno said that he will push for the establishment of youth structures, set up a national league and a women’s team.

In other results of the Africa Para Games, Kenya on Monday lost 98-8 to Algeria in women's wheelchair basketball. The East Africans bounced back on Wednesday with an 18-16 win over Ghana.

For the Kenya Wheelchair Basketball men's team, they lost 22-103 to Senegal on Tuesday.

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