On May 27 1970, Allan Thigo made his debut for Gor Mahia in the Nairobi Provincial League match against Algenya – having just joined the team from Kisumu Hotstars.
What a debut it was… scoring a goal as Gor Mahia won 3-0 (Peter Ouma “Pele” with the other two), their first victory of the season having previously drawn their first two games against Kenya Breweries (1-1) and Kenya Airforce (2-2) – although the first game would later be awarded to Breweries after Gor were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player.
Thigo would go on and score more than 10 goals in his debut season and would end up becoming perhaps Gor Mahia’s greatest ever player.
Thigo is considered as one of the greatest midfielders ever for both club and country.
His goal scoring prowess for the club was quite a remarkable feat for a player who operated from deep midfield. And some of those goals were quite important too.
His equalizer against Luo Union at the beginning of the 1976 season and winners in the next two games against Bata Bullets and Champion ensured the team got off to a winning start before Maurice Ochieng “Sonyi” found his footing in a season that the club would clinch the league for the third time – and more importantly, unbeaten.
Thigo’s two goals against Abaluhya in the Challenge Cup that season saw K’Ogalo dish out a 4-1 hiding to their old enemy, one of the heaviest defeats Gor has ever inflected on Ingwe.
This was followed by the winner against GEMA to propel the club to the quarter finals.
With eighr goals, Thigo finished the season as the club’s second highest scorer behind the free scoring Sonyi.
Having won the league in such a commanding style in 1976, a lot was expected from Gor Mahia on the continental front the following season. But they were surprised by Malawi’s Yamaha Wanderers at City Stadium and lost the game 1-2.
With Gor written off for the tie, Thigo would stun the Malawians at home by scoring twice as Gor won the game 2-1, the second goal coming very late in the game, and proceed to win the penalty shootout.
His heroics in the continent would continue in 1979 when he scored crucial goals away in Upper Volta (against Kadiogo) in the quarter finals and away in Conakry against tournament favourites Horoya FC in the second leg of the semi-finals. Horoya FC were considered the strongest team in Africa that year.
Allan Thigo is one of only six players to have scored four goals in a single league match for Gor Mahia (others being William Ouma ‘Chege’, Chris Obure, Laban Otieno, Peter Dawo, and Michael Olunga). He scored four goals past Ramogi FC on 30 December 1978 in the final league game of that season.
Only Peter Dawo (14) and Andrew Obunga (7) scored more goals in continental matches than his 6 for the club between 1969 to 2018.
Thigo’s final goal for the club would come against another illustrious opponent, Yanga, in the 1982 CECAFA club championship.
In the process, he also got 86 caps for his country, only bettered by Jonathan Niva and Musa Otieno.
*Fact file:*
Years Active for the club: 1970-1982
Position played: Midfield
Nickname: Ogango Wuon Pap, 90-minute man
Joined from: Kisumu Hotstars
Departed for: Retired
Trophies won: 3 League titles, 1 challenge Cup, 2 Cecafa trophies, 1 Nairobi Provincial League title
Goals: 88
League Nairobi Provincial League FA (Challenge Cup) CECAFA CAF Total
66 12 3 1 6 88