- It is a sad moment for Kenyan football fraternity as another legend passes on. Hamisi Shamba rested yesterday in Kisumu after a long battle with chronic kidney complications.
Shamba was known for his generosity and quest for his team’s success. He played for Gor Mahia and is considered one of the greatest players in the 1970s and 1980s.
Tributes from former teammates, fans, current players, football coaches, and politicians have been pouring as they stand in solidarity with the family of the former Gor Mahia and Kisumu All-Stars player.
“Shamba was a very committed midfielder who dominated his area with much ease. He was a very passionate footballer willing to learn from others and our friendship was unmatched during our time in the team from 1974 to 1982 before I left,” ‘Ole Tunda’ Ochieng, his former teammate at Gor Mahia, testified.
Ole Tunda went on to give a summary of Shamba’s history. He stated that Shamba joined Gor Mahia during the 1974/75 transfer window from Kisumu Hotstar’s and highlights that Shamba’s landmark moment was when he reached the final of Africa Cup Winners Cup against eventual winners Canon Younde of Cameroon in 1979.
Gor Mahia CEO Lordvick Aduda honors Shamba as one of the best players of his time in Gor Mahia.
“I have lost a personal friend and a talented footballer who played for Gor Mahia with great passion. May his soul rest in peace,” Aduda stated.
He featured for Harambee Stars and was part of the matchday squad that won the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in a record-breaking style for three subsequent years between 1981 to 1983.
The legend won seven Kenya Premier League titles with Gor Mahia and he finally hanged his boots in 1986 after giving his best in Kenya’s football arena.
Shamba kept his passion for football alive after retirement as he served as Nyanza North Football Kenya Federation branch chairman from 2012-2016.
