As a rising soccer star, Sammy Owino, “Kempes” would need no introduction. Such was his impact on the game coupled with his popularity that just the mention of his name was enough to ring a bell in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
During the four-year spell, the former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars star reigned supreme as arguably the best midfield dynamo Kenya has produced for many years.
He was idolised and emulated by fans throughout the country during his heyday.
As Sammy Owino, he was born and brought up in Nairobi, son of William Olale and Turfosa Achola Olale and started his playing career at the Technical High School in Nairobi.
His gifted abilities attracted several top clubs – notably Gor Mahia and Luo Union, now Re-Union – in the city.
As it turned out, Luo Union, who have since changed their name to Re-Union managed to beat Gor Mahia in a bid to sign him and he played for them in the Kenya National Football League tournament in 1988.
Revoke move
But the deal hit a legal snag as Gor Mahia successfully challenged his acquisition by Luo Union.
Gor Mahia filed their protest with the Kenya Football Federation which decided to revoke Owino’s move to Luo Union and ordered him to return to Gor Mahia.
“To me, the decision came as no surprise considering Gor Mahia were in good books of then KFF chairman Kenneth Matiba and enjoyed his favors although I must also admit that there were glaring irregularities in my signing,” Owino recalls.
Following the decision to bar him from moving to Re Union, Sammy Owino settled in Gor Mahia and featured in the side that won the KNFL title and in the East and Central African Club championship as well as the national football team, Harambee Stars, in the African Nations Cup.
Canon Yaounde
In 1978, Owino made a dream debut in the national squad when he hit a double in Kenya’s 3-0 win over Taifa Stars of Tanzania in the first leg of the African Nations Cup qualifier in Nairobi.
But the Kenyans made nonsense of their promising start to their campaign by falling 5-1 in the return-leg tie in Dar es Salaam and bowed out of the continental competition.
It was quite a disappointment for the young Sammy to see that the team could not progress to the next stage.
But if Kenya’s defeat by the Taifa Stars was bad, Gor Mahia’s defeat in the finals of the African Club Cup Championship in 1989, was worse.
After crashing 2-0 to Canon Yaoundé of Cameroon in the first leg tie in Nairobi, Gor Mahia went to pieces as they were hammered 6-0 in the return match in Yaoundé for an 8-0 aggregate defeat.
“That surely must have gone down as the heaviest and most humiliating defeat Gor Mahia has suffered over the years,” Owino says.
It was also a bitter disappointment for the players and officials of Gor who do not wish to be reminded of the debacle which split the executive down the middle and nearly led to the disintegration of the club.
Nevertheless, Gor Mahia put behind them their disappointment, in subsequent years, and rose to the occasion to become the first club in East and Central Africa to win a continental championship – the African Cup, also known as the Mandela Cup – in 1987.
In 1982, Sammy Owino and another former Gor Mahia ace, Nahason Oluoch, travelled to the United States, seeking greener pastures after securing a soccer scholarship with Alabama A & M University in Hunstville, Alabama, for a course in Mechanical Electrical Engineering.
The pair played for three years for Alabama A & M University.
Later, while Nahashon Oluoch “Lule” returned home and embarked on business in Nakuru, Sammy, who has since changed his nationality and his name to Samuel Olale, pursued further studies and obtained a masters degree in Mechanical Electrical Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama.
In 1992, he launched his own club, Texas Lightning, a professional soccer team which played in the United States Interrigional Soccer League (USISL), the largest professional league in the USA at the time and currently the second division professional league to Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional league in the country at the moment.
In 1999, he started a youth soccer club called AYSES.
The club, which is now flourishing, has grown to produce some of the best youth teams in the country.
Two of his teams became state champions and represented Texas in the regional tournaments, where they performed remarkably well.
The club’s aim is to produce players capable of playing professionally all over the world.
You can view the club’s web page by clicking http://www.ayses.com.
He is the founder and Director of Coaching of the club.
The club is in the process of developing 75 acres of land into sixteen lighted soccer fields, a club house, jogging trail, pavilions and swimming pool.
The first phase of the facility is currently under construction and will mark a major milestone for AYSES when opened in late July.
Sammy strongly believes that the future of any country as a soccer power house depends on its ability to develop players at the youth level, hence his commitment at that effort.
He thinks that Kenya should invest its resources to develop youth soccer players if they are serious about challenging for top honors in Africa and around the world.
Benard Zgoll’s effort in the 80’s with Olympic Youth Centers was great, and something needs to be done along the same lines.
Why did he see it fit to change his name?
“When I first arrived here they scrutinize my Passport and saw it bore Olale as the last name and they decided to go by it as it is the family name. Consequently I’m now officially known as Samuel Olale.
“That is why I became confused when you called and asked to talk to Sammy Owino, I could no figure out what you meant.
“This is because I am now so much used to Samuel Olale that I tend to forget my original name.”
Yes, he seems now to be more used to the name he acquired while in the United States as I discovered when I called him to set up a date for an interview.
“Which Sammy Owino are you calling?” he asked.
“I replied: “Sammy Owino from Kenya who once played for Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars.”
Realising that meant him, he told me: “I am the one. What can I do for you?”
In reply, I wanted to have an interview with him - which he readily agreed to grant me.
As Samuel Olale, the former super soccer star is making a name for himself as founder, owner and Director of Coaching of his own youth club, AYSES.
Prior to starting AYSES, he played for the professional team he founded (Texas Lightning) as a link man but later moved to the defense as a sweeper.
“I was forced to switch positions as I was slowing down and I could no longer cope with the midfield which needs younger players with more energy and speed,” Olali said.
He said although, the American football is one of the major sports in the United, he had been following soccer in Kenya, in particular, and in Africa in general.
He laments the current declining standards in Kenya soccer.
“It is a pity to see soccer standards falling so because of mismanagement of the game and wrangling among the officials at the club and national level.
However, I am glad to see that a club like AFC Leopards are back in the Premier League where I felt they belong. I have always thought without Gor Mahia and Leopards, there is no competitive soccer in Kenya,” he said.
“This is what those concerned must bear in mind.”
Olale got married over 20 years ago and he and his wife, Alice have two sons and a daughter.
One of the sons, Kevin Olale has followed in his father’s footsteps by taking to soccer.
“He is very good and has potential to play at the highest level,” said Owino (sorry I mean Olale). I keep encouraging him to keep it up.”
His second son, Shawn, unlike himself and his elder brother, has chosen to pursue a different line and not interested in soccer.
That is ok with him and they get along very well.
His daughter Yvonne graduated from college with a degree in accounting, and is now working as an accountant.
