By Prudence Minayo
Some personalities never seem to fade away from the limelight thanks to their ability to reinvent themselves. Take Jacob Mulee-popularly known as Ghost-was a footballer, a notable Harambee Stars national football team coach before he joined Radio. Ghost Mulee co-hosts ‘Patanisho’ with Gidi Gidi, one of the most listened to radio shows in the country, Patanisho.
The radio presenter has had an interesting long run with Kenya’s national team. For over 10 years he was the coach of Harambee Stars before he joined the media. Despite it being a far cry from what he used to do, he has managed to keep fans entertained.
The studio chemistry between him and the show’s co-host is amazing and they do a great job in uniting loved ones. Mulee was reappointed the coach of the national team after a long hiatues but did not last for long in that position.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Age
He was born on 17, July 1968 and raised in Eastleigh by a single mother.
Education
St Michael’s Primary School
Ofafa Jericho high school
Family
Mulee was raised by a single mother. He was the sixth born in a family of eleven children. Last year on ‘Mother’s Day’ he paid a special tribute to her while speaking to Word Is.
“ I have a special place in my heart for my dear Mama for raising me single-handed and teaching me a lot of values, which includes reading the word of God,” he said.
The former football coach is also a husband to Carol. They have been married for over 26 years and are blessed with three boys. They met in a matatu (public service vehicle) and she fell for his hearty laughter. Last year, he also expressed how much she means to him on Word Is.
“ My wife is also a special person in my life, and for the last 26 years we have done so many things together. She is a nice banker and a good chef,” Jacob said. He went on to add:
“ She is very hardworking. Every day she wakes up very early and packs my breakfast, and for all the love she has for me, I appreciate.”
What an inspiration in a generation where marriage and divorce have almost become synonymous!
Career
Growing up in Jericho estate, football was a religion. They would play football every time and when he went to high school he played as a goalkeeper and striker. Within no time, he was named the school captain and led his team to win the Kadenge cup in 1981. The worst defeat was when they played with Stahere Boys whose captain was Peter Kenneth. The 4-1 defeat is one he remembers to date, even his team members thought he was paid to let the goals pass through.
After completing high school, he joined Iqbal FC in Division 2 then proceeded to Volcano FC. Later, he joined and played for Re-Union FC.
For another 10 years he was with Tusker FC and won three league titles and a similar number of CECAFE cups. In 1997, he was appointed the assistant coach of Tusker FC and took over as coach in 1998. He led them to victory in 1999 and the following year he retained the title and won the East and Central club championship. In 2001, he led the team to a successful defense of the regional crown and was appointed the assistant coach of the National team.
Between 2003 and 2004, he took over the national team, Harambee stars. This was a great accomplishment for him as he revealed during an interview with Sportpesa titled “A walk with the Ghost.”
“ As a kid I always wanted to be the coach of the national team and when it finally happened, I felt as though I had already achieved something great even before the real work began.
I had a dream of taking Kenya to the world cup, unfortunately that didn’t happen,” recalls Ghost.
In 2004, he led the team to the African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) which he reveals in the same interview was one of his greatest achievements.
“ However, taking us to the AFCON finals is one of my greatest achievements and a fete that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I have plenty of satisfaction in my heart knowing that I achieved some if the targets that I had set for myself,” he added.
This was the first time in 12 years the team appeared at the African Cup Of Nations.
He resigned and went to coach APR Rwanda then Yanga FC of Tanzania.
In 2006, he came back to Kenya and was appointed coach of Tusker FC and won the National league crown the following year. The same year, 2006, he was appointed deputy coach of the national team and the following year he became their captain.
In 2008, he won another title with Tusker FC but was sacked the same year. The CEO of Tusker FC Peter Serry confirmed his sacking with the following words:
“ With the poor results it has become inevitable and we have decided to seek other alternatives to stop the decline,” said Peter who added that they are shopping for a new coach while Mulee’s assistants take over the team temporarily. ( Source: Capital FM)
In 2010, he quit the national team following a run of three defeats in the CECAFA cup.
In 2008, Jacob set up the Liberty Sports Academy to nurture soccer talents in young people. The soccer school is still in place and in 2019 he said they plan to expand and hope that the school will produce great soccer players. In a 2019, interview, this is what he said about the school:
“ I was born to practice soccer. As we are talking now, I have my own sports academy. This is where Michael Olunga started. We still have many youths who are getting great assistance through our academy.” (source: The star)
Currently, Jacob Mulee works as a morning show co-host at Radio Jambo’s Patanisho show.
