Eternal rivals Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards clash in Mashemeji derby

AFC Leopards coach Tom Juma has told bitter rivals Gor Mahia to brace for a tough battle when the two most decorated teams in the country  lock horns in a hugely anticipated Football Kenya Federation Premier League match at MISC, Kasarani  on Saturday.

“We want to end the five-match winless streak this weekend. We must break the winless jinx on Saturday,” the former international midfielder who played for the both Leopards and Gor Mahia in the 1990s said.

“Our passionate fans are waiting for this win and we can’t let them down,” Juma added.
In the opposing camp, pressure is just as great as is usual for this encounter, to win.
“You either leave your legs on the pitch or get swallowed by the ground if AFC Leopards beat you,”  a noisy club fan on stands told Gor Mahia players last Sunday after their 1-1 draw with KCB at Nyayo National Stadium.

“It is better we lose the league but beat AFC Leopards because that is where we get our pride,” the verbose fan continued to set the stage for an electric encounter at the 60,000-capacity Kasarani venue.

This will be the 97th Mashemeji derby which will mark pay television station Azam TV’s first live broadcast of the FKF-PL match.

The Tanzania-based media organisation are the broadcast rights holders of the Kenyan top league in a seven-year Sh1.3 billion partnership. The deal was signed on August 31.

This will be Leopards’ home match and for the second time this season the big cats will use an E-ticketing system.

Tickets can be purchased through the website leopards.api.co.ke, and are retailing for Sh1,000 VVIP, Sh500VIP and Sh300 regular.

Record champions Gor Mahia sit second with nine points from five matches behind Posta Rangers while Leopards are a distant 15th with a paltry four points after four draws and a loss.

Juma said they had failed to win matches despite dominating them.

“We made several blunders in our last matches. Going by the way we played against Shabana last weekend, the players have started turning into a more efficient unit.” The well attended match ended 1-1.

Leopards won the last Mashemeji derby 2-1 at Nyayo in May courtesy of goals by Victor Omune and Maxwell Otieno, but going by K’Ogalo’s current form, Juma will need his boys to play at a much higher level to stand a chance.

Before the May encounter,  Leopards had not beaten Gor Mahia since March 2016.
 There is nothing as fiery and entertaining as a Mashemeji derby that is usually a must-watch for football lover.

Gor Mahia have won 31 matches and Leopards 27 with 34 draws in meetings between the two foes that stretch back to their first encounter on May 5, 1968.

Red-hot striker Benson Omala, who leads the league’s top scorers chart on four goals, is the player to watch for Gor Mahia while the danger man at Leopards is Brian Yakhama with two strikes  in two consecutive matches, against Kenya Police and Shabana, to his name.

Gates will open at 9am. AFC Leopards Secretary-General, Gilbert Andugu urged fans to come to the stadium early to avoid congestion that was witnessed last weekend at Ulinzi Sports Complex when Leopards hosted Shabana.

The match between the two heavy weights has often attracted hooligans, in some cases scores of fans getting injured, with some matches aborted mid-way, but Andugu has urged fans from both sides to conduct themselves with decorum.

Leopards fans coordinator, Frankline Imbenzi said Ingwe followes will meet at Jeevanjee Gardens in the CBD on match day then proceed to Kasarani from 1pm.