How Gor Mahia legend Allan Thigo earned '90-minute man' nickname

Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia legend Allan Thigo. [Dennis Okeyo, Standard]

As the Kenyan football fraternity continues mourning Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia legend Allan Thigo, many wonder why he was a man of many nicknames.

Thigo died on Saturday, aged 74, at his home in Bungoma County.

The former Kenyan international was a refined utility player who tirelessly roved the field without getting tired entirely in all matches for those who saw him play. He is considered as one of the greatest midfielders in Kenyan football history.

Thigo was not easily substituted, and it could be counted the number of times the gifted midfielder got injured as a player in the one and a half decade of his football career.

While condoling with the fallen legend’s family, former Harambee Stars winger Nashon ‘Lule’ Oluoch described Thigo as an industrious player during both club and national team matches. 

“He’s a legend who played with passion and never got tired. He was everywhere in the field and never got easily substituted, a feat none of the current generation of players can fit in,” Oluoch told Standard Sports.

“And that’s how Thigo earned the ‘Ninety Minute Man’ nickname,” he added.

Having passed through Thigo’s hands, Oluoch admitted that he owes nearly everything to the fallen legend.

He was in Gor squad of 1978-1981 coached by Thigo that went on to reach the finals of the Africa Cup Winners Cup against Canon Sportiff of Yaoundé, Cameroon in 1979.

Gor fell 8-0 on aggregate against the West Africans with a 2-0 defeat in Nairobi and a 6-0 thrashing in Yaoundé.

“Goalkeeper Thomas Nkono and sweeper Emmanuel Kunde are players who impressed me, and Allan (Thigo) was categorical to encourage us to follow in their footsteps,” he stated.

Thigo died aged 74, at his home in Bungoma County. [Gor Mahia, Facebook]

Oluoch, who’s a former lecturer at Egerton University, said Thigo played a key role in his life before he left for the United States of America for further studies in 1982.

“In fact, it’s Thigo who gave me the neat pass to score the lone goal that downed Simba SC of Tanzania in the finals of East and Central Africa Club Championships at Nairobi City Stadium in 1979,” he recalled.

And Oluoch himself earned his nickname Lule after he scored their winning goal against Nsambya of Uganda in the club’s Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1979 in Kampala. He then got a presidential honour as he greeted then Uganda President Yusuf Lule.

“That’s how I earned the nickname”, said Oluoch, who’s currently a Nakuru businessman.

In the past, Kenyan players earned their nicknames from European football legends owing to their football prowess.

Some of them are Sammy Owino ‘Kempes’ (from Argentina midfield dynamo Mario Kempes) and Wilberforce ‘Maradona’ Mulamba (from the juggling skills of Argentina striker Diego Amando Maradona).

And back to Thigo, he played for Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars from 1970 to 1982, a record of 13 years after joining the league champions from Kisumu Hot Stars.

His roving skills as a midfielder, winger and towards the defence in daring saves or scoring goals made Thigo to earn a second nickname Ogango Wuon Pap (Owner of the Field). This is according to veteran Gor fan William Onyango.

Onyango vividly remembers the club's heyday of William ‘Chege’ Ouma and goalkeeper James Siang’a.

Whereas the nickname ‘Ninety Minute Man’ was popular with Thigo’s former teammates, they believe it befitted his status as the ‘engine’ of the team then.

Thigo joined K’Ogalo from his childhood club, Kisumu Hot Stars.

By then, only two teams, Kisumu Hot Stars and Kisumu Black Stars, constantly supplied Gor with players.

Former Harambee Stars defender John ‘Bobby’ Ogolla, who also joined Gor from Kisumu Hot Stars, equated Thigo to Brazilian football wizard Ravalino who could tirelessly play in all positions on the pitch.

“This is a man who played in all positions but started as a midfielder. He could tirelessly create impossible scoring opportunities into goals. And that’s how he earned the ‘Ninety Minute Man’ nickname,” said Ogolla, who’s among the surviving Gor legends.

 Ogolla’s skills equally earned him the nickname ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’.

Memorable moments for those who played with or were trained by Thigo came in 1976, 1979 and 1980.

These were the years when the record Kenyan champions dominated national, regional and continental football.

“This is when we won the league title unbeaten in 1976, reached the finals of the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1979 and were knocked out of the Africa Club Championships (now Africa Champions League) in 1980,” stated Oluoch.

Gor were knocked out of the Africa Club Championships on a 2-1 goal aggregate in the semi-finals by Bendel Insurance of Nigeria. Gor won 1-0 at home and lost 2-0 in Lagos.

“All these successes by the ‘Ninety Minute Man’ opened doors to future successes to lift the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1979,” said Ogolla.

Thigo played with different players in his football career. They included Dan Odhiambo, George Ayuka and Charles Ondiek (goalkeepers), Paul Oduwo ‘Cobra’ and Festus Nyakota (right-backs), Duncan Migan (left-back), Bobby Ogolla and Masanta Osoro, Michael ‘Machine’ Ogolla (centre-halves), Sammy Owino ‘Kempes, Jerry Imbo, and George ‘Best’ Yoga, Nashon Oluoch and Joseph Owiti ‘Maua’ (midfielders), and striker Andrew Obunga, among others.

All these names came from the way he commanded his players during matches.

The nickname ‘Midfield General’ reflected his commanding presence and his ability to dictate play from midfield.

“Thigo was a genius player and could create a goal from nothing,” said William Onyango.