Shabana FC, based in Kisii, is among Kenya’s most popular and passionately followed football clubs, especially in Kisii, Nyamira, and surrounding counties. The team, affectionately known as the Glamour Boys, marked its long-awaited return to the FKF Premier League in June 2023, ending a 17-year absence from top-flight football.
What many fans don’t know is that the club’s journey began in 1982, thanks to the vision and generosity of Dogo Khan, a Kisii-based businessman originally from Bonyunyu Village in Nyamira County.
Born in 1950, Khan was raised by his mother after losing his father early in life. He attended Kisumu Primary School and later Kisumu Boys High School, where his passion for football first flourished. After school, he ventured into business, founding Shabana Hardware and General Stores Limited, which gained prominence in Kisii and Kisumu.
The business success inspired the naming of the football club, which was initially called Olympic. Dogo Khan began sponsoring the team to give talented youth, especially those from the Olympic Youth team, a chance to grow their careers.
“I used to go to the stadium to watch matches and there was a team called Olympic Youth. When they were done with the program, they had nowhere to go. I didn’t want their talent to go to waste, so I started a team to absorb them,” he told Pulse Sports in a past interview.
Khan didn’t just provide a platform — he supported players through education, using profits from his hardware business to pay school fees for future legends like Henry Motego, Mike Okoth, and the late Yabesh Nyandoro. Many of them attended schools like Cardinal Otunga, Mosocho, and Itierio.
“Some were still in school. I was paying their school fees. That is how we started building the team,” Khan added.
Shabana FC rose quickly through the ranks: from the District League, to the Provincial League, and then the Super League by 1985. In their debut top-flight season, the team finished 10th, then 5th in the second season, and 3rd in the third, behind AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia. This performance earned them a place in the Africa Champions Cup against Zambia’s Kabwe Warriors.
However, 2006 brought turbulence. A dispute over relegation led to the club being disbanded. Two years later, in 2008, Shabana was revived and began its climb back from the lower leagues, eventually reclaiming its place in the Premier League.
Today, Shabana FC plays home matches at Gusii Stadium, and its legacy continues to grow. The club is celebrated for producing some of Kenya’s greatest football talents. Alongside Motego and Okoth, the club has nurtured stars such as:
- Richard Otambo
- Salim Mabruk
- Hussein ‘Tigana’ Omar
- Kisco Kariuki
- Peter ‘Kasskass’ Kamau
- Sammy Simiyu
- Seif Puzo
- Sylvester Mageni
- Evans Ombuna
- Alfred ‘Fwaya’ Oloo
The influence of Dogo Khan and Shabana FC continues to be felt both in Kenyan football and within the communities the club has uplifted. The Glamour Boys remain not just a football team, but a symbol of regional pride, resilience, and vision.
