Gor Mahia Forward Narrates How Brother’s Death Inspired His Title-Winning Form for K’Ogalo

Gor Mahia winger Shariff Musa excited fans with his skills and trickery during their title-winning campaign but away from the pitch, he was dealing with something tough.

With blistering pace and dazzling creativity, Musa lit up the 2025-26 league season, tormenting defenders on his way to an impressive seven goals and six assists as K’Ogalo reclaimed their crown.

But behind the celebratory dances, a league title, a host of individual awards, and a call-up to the Harambee Starsns quad, Musa was fighting a silent, devastating battle.

In a deeply emotional social media post, the winger revealed that he played nearly the entire season while grieving the tragic loss of his brother, Salim Musa, with whom he had made a sacred pact.

Musa explained that the incredible form he displayed in the just-concluded season was fueled by a desperate promise made to save his brother's life before the campaign even began.

“Before the season started, I had a bet with my brother Salim,” Musa shared. “It sounded simple. He said to me, ‘Bring me a league winner’s medal, then I will quit my addiction.’ I embraced the challenge because I wanted to see the best version of my brother.”

Tragically, the pact took a devastating turn before the league had even kicked off. While Gor Mahia was in pre-season, preparing for a friendly against Tanzania’s Simba SC, Salim’s seven-month battle in a hospital bed came to an end.

“Something funny happened, my brother had already won his bet,” Musa wrote. “He stopped his addiction. He kept his word, right?! But he kept his word in death.”

Faced with a loss that would shatter most athletes, Musa made a difficult choice. With no time to properly process his grief, he buried his brother and returned to the football pitch that very same day.

“I had a choice: to let his death break me, or embrace the pain and make him proud,” the winger revealed. “I buried him, and the same day I buried him, I traveled back to go and play. I didn’t have the time to mourn my brother because I had a debt to clear. But I mourned him every time I stepped on that field.”

Musa’s grief-fueled performances were nothing short of magnificent. As he channelled his pain into his game, he helped secure a record-extending 22nd league title for Gor Mahia and swept major individual honors at the club's end-of-season gala, where he was voted Fans' Player of the Season and Most Improved Player.

His stellar season also saw him become the inaugural winner of the revived Sportpesa League Player of the Month award for his electric form in October 2025. He was also named to the league's Team of the Week seven times throughout the campaign.

But with his brother not there to see the promise fulfilled, Musa admits the silverware feels hollow.

“I got him his medal. I don’t know how my performances this season were, because the only person to tell me honestly lies in the ground,” Musa wrote in a heartbreaking conclusion. “The only thing I know is that I kept my word. Salim Musa, goodbye my brother, goodbye my friend, goodbye my fan. Rest, Champ.”

Musa joined Gor Mahia from Bidco United during the mid-season transfer window in January 2024 and has been a key player for the club since.