I miss Burma's 'matumbo', ex-Gor coach recounts Kenyan experience

Former Gor Mahia coach Dylan Kerr is now well settled at South African club Baroka FC but still has fond memories of his time with the record Kenyan champions.

The English tactician joined K’Ogalo in 2017 after leaving Tanzanian giants Simba SC the previous year. He however says Gor had been trailing him since 2014.

“I had an official approach by Gor Mahia from 2014 while I was still coaching Hai Phong in Vietnam but that never materialized and when the same chance came again in 2017 I had to take it fast,” Kerr revealed.

“As a matter of fact, I was never even offered an official contract by Gor Mahia. The chairman (Ambrose Rachier) told me he wanted to coach the club and we just spoke verbally and I started working for the club. I had worked in East Africa before and therefore knew the team. It was an exciting opportunity for me,” he added.

Kerr, however, admits Kenyan football was not what he thought it was before he joined Gor Mahia.

“I have played and worked in South Africa before and used to watch Kenyan football on Supersport. Everything looked good and appealing but I was really surprised when I started working in the country. Apart from Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani, all the other pitches were really pathetic,” Kerr said.

“I think I also joined the club when Kenyan football was starting to experience financial difficulties and the team suffered too. However, I did my best to enjoy my time and I honestly think I did a good job even though it wasn’t easy,” he added.

Kerr won the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title in 2018 with K’Ogalo and this is a memory he holds dearly to date. He however says the team would have done better in the Caf Champions League if they were better organized.

“Beating AFC Leopards 2-0 to win the league was a very satisfactory feeling me for me. We were going through a rough patch and winning the league brought smiles to everyone at the club including the fans, who really, are the core of any club,” he said.

“However I think we would have gone to the semifinal or final of the Caf Champions League if the club was better managed. We lost several good players in the middle of the campaign and I was not happy with the manner they left the club. We struggled with basic things like proper accommodation and transport for away games and that eventually affected our performance,” he added.

Off his football duties, the tactician was a man of the people. He got along with ordinary fans, used matatus, ate street food and his down to earth demeanour endeared him to all and sundry. He says he misses the street food and other aspects of the simplistic life he was accustomed to in Kenya.

“I miss eating matumbo (tripe) in Burma Market. I miss the boiled eggs, samosas and bhajia at Camp Toyoyo. I really miss my nyama choma. I miss the Kenyan people and their hospitality,” he said.

“I never liked the upmarket places where other foreigners used to frequent. I like to interact with the ordinary people and really enjoyed my time in Kenya,” he added.

Kerr singles out Philemon Otieno as the player he enjoyed working with most during his time at K’Ogalo.

“No disrespect to all the other amazing players at the club - they were all very good people but Philemon would run through brick walls for me. He was very professional and followed instructions to the latter,” he said.

Kerr says if he was to sign any of his former players at Gor Mahia at his current side, Baroka FC then it would be strikers Meddie Kagere and Jacques Tuyisenge.

“They are undoubtedly very good strikers and I am happy to see them now enjoying their football even after leaving Gor Mahia. Kagere is still scoring goals for Simba in Tanzania while Jacques is also doing the same at Petro Atletico in Angola. If I had a free hand to sign any two of my former players then I would sign the two very fast,” he added.

The coach says he would like to work with more Kenyan players in South Africa but reveals it's not easy to recruit.

“Players coming from the East African region are viewed to be inferior compared to other regions and it is sad. I think most African players are at the same level. Kenyan football stakeholders have to work harder to put the game in the region at a higher pedestal and ranking as that would make it easier for the players to move to better leagues in Africa,” he said.

“We (Baroka) almost signed Harambee Stars defender Brian Onyango Mandela when he came over for a trial but it never happened as he was still struggling with his fitness and didn’t look sharp, perhaps because he was coming back from a serious knee injury. For him, it would have been an easy process as he has played before in South Africa and has a good physique,” he added.

Here is Dylan Kerr’s best first 11 during his stay at Gor Mahia.

Goalkeeper: Boniface Oluoch

Defenders: Philemon Otieno, Godfrey Walusimbi, Harun Shakava and Joash Onyango

Midfielders: Humphrey Mieno, Ernest Wendo, Boniface Omondi and Francis Kahata

Strikers: Meddie Kagere and Jacques Tuyisenge