Bonface Ambani Moments: I have won many titles but winning the league with Afc remains my greatest moment!
I joined AFC Leopards from Rivatex FC in 1998. The Late Francis Chahonyo personally came for my signature in Eldoret
. “Young man. I need to win this title.
Late Afc chaairman Francis Chahonyo.
Those were his words. At that time KCC,Nzoia,KBL(tusker),Shabana,Chemelil,all were chasing for my services coz Rivatex was on the brink of going under receivership.
I signed for Leopards and I promised the big man I will do it for him and the Leopards fraternity at large.
My dream of playing for AFC Leopards as a young boy from Shiseno Village had been realized. Thinking of the Likes of JJ Masiga,The Kadenge’s, Mulamba’s,Musuku’s, Weche,,Lichungu, Shilasi,Tasso Murila,Arieno Papa etc drove me wild.
The passion., . My next target was to win the title. And good God. We won it.
Title defence.
1999. We kicked off the league in style as title defenders.
By March we were already 6 points off the 2nd team. We were leading the table.. And boom. I fell sick
I was bedridden.I couldn’t understand what had happened after coming from an away match in Kisii against Shabana which interestingly I scored the lone goal. My parents came for me. I was taken home coz the club management coz of the cheap politics that has continued to engross the club and lack of visionary leaders, (Distancing The Late Chahonyo from this) couldn’t pay for my bills. Guys could pick money from Chahonyo in pretense they are coming to pay for my bills and vanish with it in thin air.
I thank my family stood by my side. I was hospitalized for two months in Mukumu Hospital.
While in hospital I read on paper that I had been suspended on indiscipline issues. Absconding training sessions. God. This is a player who has been Ill for 4 months. Undergoing treatment…it pained me but I let it go. So after I had recovered in November the same 1999,I came back to the club. I asked the officials if my suspension had been lifted and wanted answers as to why I was suspended, nobody gave me an answer.
With a busy Chairman, I don’t blame him,I only blamed the guys who surrounded him.
I later learned they were drawing my salary and it never reached me. Because they knew I know how to fight for my rights,they formed an alliance to delay justice.
Bouncing back after illess and winning the league again with Oserian Fastac fc.
I had to get back to my feet. And the landing zone was Oserian Fastac. Tom Frasser did everything to get my signature. He believed in me. I won him two titles. Believe me or not, what I know is if I hadn’t fallen sick we were retaining that title. The pain I went through no one …no one knows.
But I came back to Leopards to serve the team once more in a coaching capacity. Passion and love for the team drives me. And since I started it at the junior team,I have never changed roles. I believe in building a strong base. I have been here. And am here to stay.
Bonface Ambani is an x leopard league winner, Harambee stars players and currently a coach, soccer commentator and a businessman dealing is sports equipment/apparels trading as Bochend ltd
Ambani at his Bochend shop.
