Gor Mahia

The club was formally established on 17 February 1968 as a merger of Luo Union and Luo Sports Club (also known as Luo Stars) and won the national league at the first time of asking. Some of its original leaders were politicians Tom Mboya and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. However, the club was founded much earlier, in 1915, and participated intermittently in local tournaments in Western Kenya. Various groups used this name at different times.

The club plays its home games at the Nairobi City Stadium. Alternatively, they also play at the Moi International Sports Centre and the Nyayo National Stadium. The club has also previously hosted matches at the Kisumu County Stadium and the Mombasa Municipal Stadium.

The club went on to win the Kenya National Football League in their debut season. In 1976, Gor Mahia won the national league unbeaten, and repeated the same feat 39 years later under the leadership of Frank Nuttall.

Towards the end of the 2000s, Gor Mahia began a steady resurgence, attracting fans back to the pitch and regularly filling stadiums. The club returned to silverware in 2008, winning the KFF Cup after a thirteen-year wait for a major trophy. Gor Mahia proceeded to win the Kenya DSTV Super Cup against the year's defending champs, Mathare United before the beginning of the 2009 KPL season.

On 26 October 2011, Gor Mahia defeated Sofapaka to win the 2011 edition of the FKL Cup having dispatched their archrivals AFC Leopards 6 days earlier in a 20 October Heroes Day thriller.

After merging of Luo Union and Luo Sports Club, Gor Mahia was named after a legendary Medicine man from Kanyamwa, Ndhiwa, Homa Bay in Luo mythology. His nickname was Gor Mahia ("mahia" is Luo for "magic") because he was famous for performing magic. The club's most famous nickname, K'Ogalo, also stems from the medicine man, whose full name was Gor Wuod Ogada nyakwar Ogalo (Gor son of Ogada grandson of Ogalo), and as such was known as Gor Makogalo, or Gor K'Ogalo in short, which means "Gor of Ogalo's homestead".

Several prominent Luos from all walks of life met in Nairobi to christen the club. The name Gor Mahia was settled upon from a shortlist of other Luo cultural heroes and warriors such as: Nyathi Kwach; Lwanda Magere from Kano; Okore wuod Ogonda Mumbo from Kisumu; Ogutu wuod Kipapi from Ugenya; Kech Kamajwala from Asembo and Tao K'Ogot also from Ugenya.

1970s

Gor Mahia won the league title in their inaugural season in 1968 with legendary Kenyan striker William Ouma "Chege" scoring 19 goals. They would win the league title for the second time in 1974. In 1976, Gor Mahia became the first Kenyan football club to win the National League unbeaten, thanks to the exploits of playmaker Allan Thigo who also acted as a coach. He was ably assisted by stars such as Festus Nyakota, James Ogolla and new recruits Jerry Imbo who had been recruited from Black Mamba and legendary goal poacher Maurice Ochieng who had been recruited from Kenya Police. Goalkeeper George Ayuka was in sensational form throughout the season. Maurice Ochieng finished as leading scorer in the league with 18 goals, ahead of the legendary William "Chege" Ouma who scored 16. The 1976 squad was one of the strongest the club had ever fielded. It included such stars as Masanta Osoro, Paul "Cobra" Oduwa, Festus Nyakota, Duncan Aluko and Duncan Migan, all of whom played for the national team at one point. The former Minister for Roads and Transport Chris Obure also played for Gor in their inaugural season in 1968 and 1969.

In the 1979 African Cup Winners' Cup final, Gor Mahia faced Canon Yaounde of Cameroun, the defending champions. Gor Mahia lost the first leg 0–2 and were then beaten 0–6 in the second leg, with unconfirmed reports suggesting some players had accepted bribes.

1980s

Gor Mahia beat AFC Leopards 1–0 to win the 1983 league and at the end of the match, President Moi presented the league to captain Peter Otieno Bassanga.

Gor Mahia won the inaugural Moi Golden Cup by beating Bandari 1–0 in the final. An injury time goal by Hezborn Omollo secured the victory at Nyayo stadium. The tough Bandari outfit coached by Mohammed Kheri was at the time playing in the Coast Provincial League. Winning the Moi Golden Cup enabled Gor Mahia to participate in the 1987 Africa Cup Winners Cup.

In 1989 K'Ogalo retained the Moi Golden Cup for the 3rd successive year by beating Kenya Breweries 2–0 in the final. After the match, Abass Magongo who was man of the match was carried shoulder high by fans. Gor Mahia however lost the league title to a resurgent AFC Leopards who benefited from their recruiting spree and sponsorship from Crown Paints Kenya. Having won the Moi Golden Cup the previous year, Gor Mahia were back in the Cup winners Cup in 1989. In the 1st round they received a walkover when Villa of Uganda pulled out. In round 2 they beat Costa Do Sol of Mozambique 2–1 at home and tied them 0–0 away. In the quarter finals they faced LPRC Oilers of Liberia. The 1st leg was played at Nyayo stadium. Gor Mahia played a disjointed game and the match ended 0–0. After the match, the Liberian players celebrated as if they had won a trophy. Gor Mahia team manager told the media that K'Ogalo would conquer the return leg. Indeed, they did, winning 3–1 in Monrovia. Coach Mohammed Kheri had been drafted from Bandari on a temporary basis to replace Johnson. In the semis they faced El Merreikh of Sudan. After winning the 1st leg 1–0, they lost 0–2 in the return leg in Omdurman. So Gor Mahia bowed out in the semi-final.