Any football fan in Eldoret in the 1980s and 1990s will recall the golden days when pulsating football matches in a packed Kipchoge Keino Stadium electrified the town and brought businesses to a standstill almost every weekend.Top clubs including AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, Kenya Breweries (now Tusker FC), now NSL side Shabana FC, and Posta Rangers among others would also play in Eldoret, a town that was also famous for athletics. The famous ‘Eldoret derby’ pitting the two football giants Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) FC and Rivatex FC occasionally happened at the iconic Kipchoge Keino stadium and fans would flock to the town from as far as Kisumu, Kakamega, Kitale, and Bungoma to witness.Football In Kenya .Kitale FC and Barclays Bank were unbeatable at the Kenyatta Stadium in Kitale, while Eldoret KCC, Rivatex FC and Raymonds FC were deadly at their backyard.— simba N Joseph (@SimbaJoseph) May 29, 2021 They would occasionally play at the 64 Stadium, a kilometer away from Kipchoge Keino. The clubs also fed the National Team Harambee Stars during their prime.The state-owned firms – Eldoret KCC and Rivatex however collapsed in 1998; and the decorated football clubs they sponsored those days also stumbled to misery.Mozzart Sport looks into the sunset days of vibrant firms and their splendid football clubs and how they collapsed, killing a game that then had a huge following in dismay.In the sprawling Langas residential area in Eldoret, 55-year-old football legend Hussein Okaka sits comfortably on his armchair watching a televised match. It is almost 4 pm and the skies are turning gray, heavy rain ready to pour. What welcomes you when you enter his house is the testimony of his illustrious football career displayed in the form of trophies and medals.Hussein witnessed KCC FC win the Moi Golden championship against AFC Leopards in a historic 4-1 victory in 1997. That would become their last major win. AFC Leopards won the coveted Moi Golden Cup in 1991 and 1994. Hussein recalls the 4-1 win went to the history books as the victory with the highest number of goals.He joined Rivatex FC from AFC Leopards in 1986 before rising to become his former team’s coach and remembers how he watched the club sink in the face of tough economic times in 1998.“I saw it coming. It came to a point where the company (Rivatex) became under receivership. When the new receiver came, they started minimizing expenses like doing away with sponsoring football,” Hussein recalls.Hussein narrates that both clubs collapsed in 1998. Following that, what was left of KCC and Rivatex were merged to form one deadly community club; Eldoret FC, with Hussein being the coach. All was well during its early stages but it later crumbled after some of the community members failed to keep their promise of financing them.“We started well but it came to a point where we would ask them to support us and they said they had their issues to deal with too,” he bitterly recalls.Eldoret FC was playing at the top-tier back then and at the time when the community withdrew support, the team had three matches to play in order to remain in the Premier League. Hussein wishes to forget the events of that fateful night.“I remember we were to travel to Nairobi to play our two matches which were to determine whether we would be relegated or remain in the league. I trained the boys well and we agreed to meet in town for supper before our departure.The team manager took a long time to arrive, and I had to inquire about what was happening. When he came, he called me aside and told me that there were no funds. I was surprised because we had two consecutive matches on Saturday at Kasarani and Sunday at Nyayo Stadium then we’d travel back.I insisted that the TM explain to the boys that they would not honor their matches but instead, he threw money on the table and walked away,” he remembered.The boys failed to honor their three consecutive matches and they were relegated to the second tier as the team witnessed a nosedive in 2001, never to bounce back.Good old days- Kenyan Football ClubsMafuko BombersRivatexKCC Eldoret FCUtalii FCMumiasBata BulletsMotcomPan PaperOserian FastacRed Berrets— Nick Mudimba (@NickMudimba) July 21, 2019 Fate of players.Hussein also disclosed how his fellow players who exited the football stage as glorious heroes years later no longer attracted a glance from the throngs of fans who filled the stadiums whenever they played. What remains of their rich football history are the trophies in their archives.According to Hussein, most players were fully employed by the companies and could not look for side hustles.“For instance, at Rivatex, if you are a player, you clock in to work by 8 am, go to the field, and train. We would break for lunchtime, and catch a quick rest before resuming the afternoon session. Training was our job, and we gave results,” he explained.Not far from Hussein’s home, Patrick Namai who played for the two Eldoret football clubs and the national team as well is struggling to make ends meet. Namai has been hawking charcoal for over seven years to provide for his family.##NAJAVA_MECA_7306385##It’s been more than three decades since the former Harambee Stars defender bid the football scene goodbye, and with it, faded the memories of his heydays.Most of his customers are unaware that the man selling charcoal to them was once a football star who was glued to the then-only broadcasting station– Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.“I think I was just not lucky in my football career. Life was good when I was playing for Eldoret KCC and Rivatex as well as the national team, but things turned for the worse. Today, I sell charcoal to feed my family and pay bills because I have to struggle not to be a beggar,” he said.KCC, renamed New KCC roared back to operations in 2003 while Rivatex resumed full operations in 2017 after the state pumped Sh5 billion into its revival, but without the sport.According to Hussein, Eldoret can bounce back to its glory days only if serious sponsors take on the available teams. Eldoret is home to Division II teams like 105, Eldoret Youth, ELDOWAS FC, MTRH, Eldoret Mahakama, and Kidiwa FC.“Currently, in Eldoret, the most important thing is getting serious sponsors with a serious team that is concerned with the player’s welfare,” he offered.The former Eldoret Youth Coach who resigned from Rivatex last year however still believes that talent pays. His twins; Jafari Owiti, the AFC Leopards attacking midfielder, and Bandari FC midfielder Faraj Ominde have achieved remarkable feats in the sport.Selected football teams that existed in the North Rift in the 1980s include: Railways, Bushere, Riat, Elgeyo Sawmills, Raymonds, Panpaper – Kaptagat.
