Why Gor Mahia has sent Dennis Oliech packing

Dennis Oliech’s contract at Kenya Premier League champions, Gor Mahia, has been terminated.

The football club announced on its official website on Tuesday night that it discontinued Oliech’s contract due to “serious and persistent cases of misconduct”.

“The player’s poor performance on the pitch and serial absence from training without permission from the club have led to his premature ouster from the record Kenyan champions, just months into his two-year deal,” said Gor Mahia in its article titled Gor Mahia terminate Oliech’s contract.

The Kenyan football giants further said that it has attempted to reach out to Oliech without success “and resorted to termination of his contract”.

The club officially wrote to the player informing him of the step to end his contract and promised to settle his dues.

“In pursuance of the provisions of Clause 6 of your Player Agreement Contract entered into with Gor Mahia Football Club we hereby write to advise you that we have terminated your contract with immediate effect on grounds of Just Cause as also stipulated in FIFA Article 14 Regulations of the Statues and Transfer of Players,” read a part of Gor’s letter addressed to Oliech.

-Grounds-

Below is a continuation of the letter:

“The grounds supporting the just cause are:

“1. You are and have been guilty of serious misconduct and continued poor performance on the field of play especially you have without reason therefore and without prior permission from the Head Coach, the Team Manager or any other duly authorized Club Official absented yourself on numerous diverse days from training thereby denying the club the opportunity to field you as a striker.

“2. You have offered yourself as a candidate for popular political elections, a move that is likely to potray the club in bad light, cause disaffection among club’s supporters and fans, a step that is inconsistent with and inimical to your standing as the club’s football player. Further, you have posted a photograph of yourself in the social media donning the club’s jersey indicating your political intentions,” said Gor Mahia.

Gor Mahia signed the former Harambee Stars captain in a two-year deal in January this year.

The player returned to the domestic league after spending15 years away in foreign leagues.

Prior to his overseas transfer, Oliech played for Mathare United.

Former head-coach, Hassan Oktay, was the one who asked the club to sign the former AJ Auxerre striker on a deal worth more than Ksh3 million.

Oliech, 33, was reportedly earning Ksh350, 000 a month at Gor Mahia.

While being presented as the new Gor Mahia signing on January 2, 2019, Oliech termed the move as a “dream come true”.

"It is a dream come true to feature for the biggest club in the country with the largest following in Kenya. It was my late mum Mary Oliech’s dream for me to feature for K’Ogallo. I'm happy that I achieved it, even though she is not there to witness," Oliech said at the time.

Prior to his move to Gor Mahia, Oliech, played for Dubai Cultural Sports Club in the Arabic League.

Oliech is Kenya’s all-time goal-scorer with 34 goals.