Joseph Wandera Doyo is one of the goalkeepers for Bunyala Legends FC, a team that traverses Kenya and Uganda playing friendly matches, scouting talented players and helping them secure sponsors for their education.
Doyo was only nine years old and studying at Tudor Primary School in Mombasa County when he began joining Western Stars FC during training sessions at the Makupa Primary School playground. At the time, football was largely considered a game for adults.
One of the team’s stars, number 11 player Christopher Wandera, noticed the young goalkeeper’s talent and decided to nurture him. Wandera later played in the same position for the national team, Harambee Stars.
“He would kick the ball directly towards my position, and I would dive at the ball and fall with it in style,” Doyo recalls.
When his parents retired and returned to Bunyala in Busia County, Doyo remained in Mombasa under the care of a relative so that he could continue pursuing football. He continued training with Western Stars but was not allowed to play for the team because of his age.
After completing his secondary school education in Mombasa, Doyo rejoined his parents in Bunyala, where he stayed for three years. He later moved to Kitale in Trans Nzoia County and played for the Kitale Prisons team in Division Three for three years.
His performances attracted the attention of the Ministry of Works, which employed him to play for its Division Three team. Three years later, in 1980, the ministry transferred him to its Nakuru office.
In Nakuru, Doyo found Abeingo FC, a club formed and managed by employees of the Ministry of Works. This made it easier for him to join the team, and he played for the club in Division One for three years.
While playing for Abeingo, Doyo became a goalkeeper for the national team, Harambee Stars, between 1983 and 1984. However, his decision to play for Abeingo almost cost him his job because the ministry wanted him to represent its team, TRANSCOM.
Doyo briefly played for TRANSCOM before Kenya Breweries Tusker FC coach Marshall Mulwa invited him to join the club in 1985. He remained with Tusker FC until his retirement from competitive football in 1995.
After retiring, Doyo returned to Bunyala and formed 11 Hunters FC at his village home in Sigomere in 1998. The team went on to win five trophies in local tournaments and leagues.
In 2007, he helped Outgrowers FC rise from the Provincial League to the National Super League, where the club competed for two seasons. However, a lack of funding prevented the team from progressing to the Premier League.
Doyo has also helped establish and coach several teams at the local level, including California FC in Bunyala North Ward and Bocca Junior FC in Bunyala South Ward.
The only Munyala goalkeeper to have represented the national team so far, Doyo says Tom Olaba, who played in positions nine and 10, Samson Odore in position five, and John Arieno in position four were among the notable Harambee Stars players from Bunyala.
The former Harambee Stars player says football in Bunyala continues to face numerous challenges, including excessive political interference.
“We believe in political football, where tournaments and leagues are organised by politicians who misuse the youth,” he says.
He adds that many teams in Bunyala collapse because of mismanagement and corruption among club officials. He also cites indiscipline, including incidents in which young players attack match officials and referees, as one of the problems undermining football development in the area.
Speaking recently to the Young Eagles and 11 Hunters under-17 teams at Sigomere grounds, Doyo emphasised that discipline is essential for success in football.
He encouraged young players to take the game seriously and view it as a possible source of future employment. He also called on established teams to visit local communities and scout talented players whose abilities are going to waste because of a lack of sponsors.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.