AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani has warned Gor Mahia to look go look for title winning points elsewhere other than in their Sunday Mashemeji derby at Moi International sports Centre, Kasarani.
“In this game there can never be any talk of any team giving each other an easy win because that amounts to match-fixing.
We may not be in the title race but I’m not ready to lose my record to Gor, let either side give their best on the pitch and win fairly. Gor can still fight for the title by winning other matches but not this one,” said the former Leopards and Harambee Stars player yesterday.
Ambani, who boasts he has never lost to Gor Mahia, said his Ingwe lads will fight tooth and nail to secure a win.
Defending champions Gor Mahia are gunning for a record extending 22nd title and currently lie second on the league table with 53 points, two less than leaders Police.
The season’s first leg match played at a jam-packed Nyayo National Stadium on March 30 ended in a barren draw.
Ambani conceded that Gor will fight hard for maximum points but he was not ready lose the record of never losing to K’Ogalo as a player and now a coach.
“The weekend contest will be very intense because Gor are fighting for the title and on the other hand AFC are not ready to lose and I have told my players not to let me down since I have a record to protect,” said Ambani, who won with the league title with the Big Cats in 1998. Incidentally, it is the last time that the giant club won the Kenyan championship.
A loss to Ingwe could derail Gor’s title charge more so if Police beat Bandari in Mombasa and third-placed Tusker secure a win against struggling FC Talanta at Nairobi this weekend.
Ambani also called on AFC Leopards fans to turnout in large numbers so that Gor can also get a good gate collection. In the first leg Ingwe collected Sh7. 3 million from gate receipts.
Tickets are retailing for Sh5,000 VVIP, Sh1,000 VIP and Sh300 regular.
“Gor and Leopards have been in this league for long. We are brothers and have co-existed in harmony. There is no need to fight but to enjoy the game and win, so I urge our fans in the spirit of brotherhood and love for football to come in numbers so that Gor can also get a good amount of money in gate collections,” said Ambani who also played professional football in Oman.
Teams are this weekend expected to observe a minute of silence before kick-off in honour of AFC Leopards Secretary General Gilbert Andugu, who died on Tuesday aged 43.
Leopards last beat Gor on May 14, 2023, a 2-1 victory at Nyayo National Stadium.
Gor have enjoyed the upper hand in recent years with their last victory against their bitter rivals coming in the second leg meeting of last season on April 24, 2024, a 1-0 triumph.
This will be the first competitive game Kasarani will be hosting since August 2023 when it was closed for renovation.
