By Joan Barsulai
It is a blazing Saturday afternoon in Dandora slums, but the dry and dusty football field is abuzz with activity. Right across the field, a young man limps holding onto a metal stick as he guides the ball towards the opponent team’s goalmouth.
The cheering crowd roars deafeningly.
Children follow him everywhere — either out of curiosity or admiration for his prowess in the field.
James Otieno, 23, is a fine striker. And he is one-legged.
Otieno’s love for football came when, as a little boy, his father bought him a ball.
“I loved football so much, that even in class I just thought about football, not my empty stomach.”
James played with such passion and expertise that he came to be known as the ‘Oliech’ of the village.
But when he turned 12, his fame was shattered, for he suffered a polio attack and lost the use of one of his legs.
Being on the verge of adolescence, this loss was unbearable. School mates ridiculed him and he eventually quit school.
After his 17th birthday, he moved to Nairobi with one desire — to play professional football. His ball, which he had made out of rope and a plastic bag, was his only possession then — and the gateway to a better life.
International striker
“I wanted to join one of the teams I had grown up hearing about. My desire was to play with the likes of Dennis Oliech, Kenya’s international striker.”
Otieno got his way to Mathare, where he easily fitted in as his scoring skills were valuable to any team.
When he plays, all attention turns to him and fans love the way he handles the ball despite his disability.
In many cases, they want him to play for long and when the referee substitutes him, the fans protest. But his disability cannot allow him to play for the 90 minutes duration of the game.
“I love football, but my only challenge is playing for the 90 minutes. But I am working on it as I want to finish the full game.”
On the field, Otieno usually plays while holding a stick, which he also uses to support himself while running after the ball.
When he is not playing football, Otieno repairs shoes and displays acrobatic manoeuvres for a living.
He coaches a team of mentally challenged under 25-year-olds, and also a team of orphaned children under 12 in the slums.
The young players are good and those that were not ready to exploit their talents are greatly inspired by Otieno. They would like to be as good as him.
His greatest aspiration is to be a fully trained as a coach.
“If I achieve this,” he says, “I will change my society through football. I will help many, just like football has helped me.”