Sammy Omollo
Personal information
Full name Samuel 'Pamzo' Omollo[1]
Date of birth (1970-05-30) 30 May 1970
Place of birth Kakuma, Kenya
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Shabana (Head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1992 Kenya Breweries
1992–1994 Gor Mahia
1994–1996 Kenya Breweries
1996–1998 East Bengal (4)
1998–2001 Mohun Bagan
2002–2005 Kenya Pipeline
2005–2006 Securicor
International career
1992–2000 Kenya 20[2] (0)
Managerial career
2009–2010 Mahakama
2010–2012 Tusker
2012–2012 Oserian
2012–2013 Sony Sugar
2014–2015 Zetech University
2015–2016 East Bengal (assistant)
2018–2019 KCB
2019–2021 Posta Rangers
2021–2024 Gor Mahia F.C. (Assistant Coach)
2021– Shabana F.C. (Head Coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Samuel "Pamzo" Omollo (born 30 May 1970) is a former Kenya international football defender who played for clubs in Kenya and India.[3][4] He is currently the head coach of Shabana, and he is also a football analyst at Radio Jambo FM, which is a broadcast radio station from Nairobi, Kenya, providing sports, talk shows and African music.[5]

Personal life

Born on May 30, 1970, Sammy Omollo was raised in Park road estate in Ngara, where his nickname was "Pamzo". He is the son of Dishon Omollo, who also captained Harambee Stars and retired with quite some remarkable international games to his name.[6]

Omollo quickly took his position in cricket as an all-rounder, meaning that he could throw the ball, could hit it again as a batsman. But later, his passion for cricket fazed off when he joined Githumu high school in Murang’a County and found out other friends who were good in football like Douglas Karanja who later played with him at Kenya Breweries and Charles Machiwa.

Club career

In 1989, his journey to football started when he guided his high school at the nationals' secondary school games finals against a Henry Motego led Kisii high school in Kakamega. At this level, Austrian born tactician Gerry Saurer was in the country and worked with the Kenyan national team. The Austrian was building Harambee Stars from bottom to top and was the person in charge on the under-21s. Here Omollo was recruited among other Kenyan greats like Francis 'killer' Oduor, Peter Mwololo, Vincent Kwarula, Allan Odhiambo, Tony Lwanga and many others.

Omollo began his senior professional career there and making his Kenyan Premier League debut for Kenya Breweries F.C. in 1990. In 1992, he joined rivals Gor Mahia F.C. for two seasons before returning to Kenya Breweries. Omollo helped Kenya Breweries reach the final of the 1994 African Cup Winners' Cup.[7] In 1992, Gormahia convinced his late father Dishon Omollo that K'ogallo was the way to go.

He turned out for Gor till 1994 then returned to Kenya Breweries after winning the Kenyan Premier League in 1993. He played for Kenya Breweries up to 1996 and won the Kenyan Premier League in his final year with the Brewers.

Omollo later moved to India and signed a professional contract with National Football League side East Bengal FC from Kolkata[8] in 1996.[9] He officially became the first Kenyan footballer to play in the Indian highest tier football league. With Red and Gold Brigade, he twice won the Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield before leaving the side in 1998 for city rivals Mohun Bagan, with whom he won the CFL again, and the shield too.

After spending two tremendous successful seasons in Indian football, he moved to Subrata Bhattacharya managed Mohun Bagan for another three seasons deal.[10][11]

In 2001, just after returning to Kenya, he joined Gor Mahia again and here they badly needed his experience both as a player and as a coach.

International career

Omollo made all total 20 FIFA international appearances (excluding 3 non-FIFA matches) for the Kenya national football team.[12] He represented his country in five 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches between 1992 and 1993.

He debuted for Kenya at the 1992 African Cup of Nations[13] in a match on 16 January against Senegal.

Managerial career

Omolo began his coaching career here with Gor Mahia, with responsibilities of also doubling up as a player. In 2002, Kenya Pipeline F.C. hired his services. He helped Vincent ‘yaro’ Ogejo, and Joe ‘siti’ Odongo captain the side.

After he retired from playing, Omollo became a full-time manager and led Mahakama to the Kenyan Premier League. He was appointed manager of Tusker in late 2010. While at Tusker FC he won the Kenyan Premier League title in the year 2011.[7]

From 2012 to 2015, life in coaching became ups and downs. He coached the now disbanded Oserian fastac and SoNy Sugar. Later, he went to the lower division sides and coached Zetech University before his former club in India came calling.

He went back to Kolkatta and managed East Bengal FC in the I-League as an assistant coach. He won the Calcutta Football League there as coach, previously he had won it as a player. Just like he did it in Kenya, he returned to India and did it again.

He silently jetted back to Kenya after falling out with the Indian club's hierarchy and eventually settled at Kenyan Premier League outfit Posta Rangers in 2016. He was with the club for several years until 2001, when Posta Rangers sacked him due to their bad performances.[14]

In February 2021, Omollo appointed on Kenyan champions Gor Mahia's duty as an assistant coach.[15]

In January 10, 2024, he was appointed as Shabana FC head coach. [16]

Honours

Club

Gor Mahia
Gold Champions (1): 1993
Tusker F.C.
Gold Champions (2): 1994, 1996[17]
East Bengal
Gold Champions (1): 1996
Gold Champions (2): 1994, 1995
Gold Champions (1): 1995
Mohun Bagan
Gold Champions (3): 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02
Gold Champions (2): 1998, 2001
Gold Champions (1): 2000
Gold Champions (1): 2000
Gold Champions (2): 1998, 1998
Gold Champions (1): 1996
Gold Champions (1): 2001

See also

  • Kenya men's international footballers

References

  1. ↑ "Sammy Omollo, Kenyan player profile and stats". Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Omollo, Sammy". national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Bhattacharya, Nilesh (23 July 2016). "Diamond Touch". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 October 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Arunava, Chaudhuri. "News for the month of May: 1998". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. ↑ sammy-pamzo-omollos-coaching-journey-takes-him-zetech-fc Archived 14 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine the-star.co.ke. Retrieved 14 March 2021
  6. ↑ "Sammy Omollo, - Posta Rangers coach who became first Kenyan to play in India's top tier". www.tuko.co.ke. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Tusker FC Set To Unveil Sammy Omollo As New Coach". Goal.com. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Sengupta, Somnath (13 July 2011). "Tactical Evolution of Indian Football (Part Three): PK Banerjee – Amal Dutta – Nayeemuddin". thehardtackle.com. Kolkata: The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  9. ↑ K. John, Binoo (2 February 1998). "With over Rs 1 cr as prize money for Philips League, local clubs sign up foreign players". www.indiatoday.in. India Today. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  10. ↑ Mehra, Chander (19 March 1999). "Sammy Omollo says he will play on in India". India Abroad News Service. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  11. ↑ Sengupta, Somnath (13 July 2011). "Tactical Evolution Of Indian Football: Part Four – Modern Era (1999—2011)". thehardtackle.com. Kolkata: The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Samuel "Sammy" Omollo - International Appearances". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Bobrowsky, Josef & Mazet, François (23 September 2002). "African Nations Cup 1992". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  14. ↑ Posta Rangers sack Sammy Omollo, hire ex-Harambee Stars coach Archived 5 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine NATION - AFRICA. Retrieved 14 March 2021
  15. ↑ "Gor Mahia appoint Omollo as assistant coach". goal.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Shabana FC Appoint 'Pamzo' Omollo As New Head Coach". 10 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Jönsson, Mikael & King, Ian (21 November 2013). "Kenya – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
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