The Early Days

 

The first ever group photo of Abaluhya Football club taken in in 1964

 

 

In the sixties and seventies were years of great rivalries between several Kenyan teams mainly based on tribal affliations. These included Abaluhya, maragoli, Luo Union, Gor Mahia, Ramogi and Feisal.  Fans of these teams were very passionate. The thought of a player crossing from one team to a rival team was unthinkable.  Right from its formation in 1964 , Abaluhya immediately became one of the top teams in Kenya and East Africa as a whole. They routinely drew capacity crowds to each of their league matches. This was the height of popularity of Kenyan football.  They went on to win the League title in 1966, 67, 70 and 73.  Among the players who featured in the period of the 70s were Shem Chimoto , Joe Kadenge Jonathan Niva, David keffa, and Wellington Lidonde.

Joe Kadenge was the most famous of all Kenyan players in the 1960s

By the late seventies, the club had been futher strengthened with the arrival of such players as Joe Masiga, Abdul Barasa, and Livingstone Madegwa who was voted one of the best players in Africa.

Joe Masiga's combination of strength and speed sent shivers through the spines of many opponents.