From 3pm today, all eyes will be on Nyayo Stadium as Kenya’s old rivals battle for league glory.
They are called the Mashemeji, the in-laws who share a lot in common, politically, culturally, socially but their similarities end the moment football comes into the picture.
That is Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards for you; Kenya’s two largest clubs with an enviable history. No doubt, they are the most supported clubs and most successful.
It is easier for an AFC Leopards fan to hand out his daughter for marriage to a Gor Mahia die-hard fan, than have him sit where Gor fans sit at the stadium! Unimaginable. Simply unfathomable.
They take to social media and reproach each other as sworn enemies would do, yet they are just Mashemejis to Ingwe; K’Ogalo matters.
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This week, they have been indulging in what they know best; throwing punches at each other ahead of the 90 minute affair-the Mashemeji derby that is on today at the Nyayo Stadium.
The kick-off time is 3pm and most football followers and lovers in most parts of the county will be glued to the medium of their choice, just to be in the know, as things keep unfolding at Nyayo.
For the 12,000 or less, who will make it to the stadium; there will be limited time to even blink. Every second will be vital and every move will count.
On paper, it is difficult to tell who starts as the favourite. Both sides have had mixed results in the eight league games they have played this season.
But this is a derby and there is so much to fight for than just the three points. Each side of the divide wants the bragging rights. And even the players know how important this match is to them.
“This is one match every player would want to be involved in. It is the biggest clash in the country, if not the region,” AFC Leopards captain Bernard Mang’oli said.
Mang’oli has played in several derbies. He scored in one of them, when Ingwe hammered Gor Mahia 3-0 two years ago, and he believes they are going to give K’Ogalo a similar hiding.
AFC Leopards has beaten Gor Mahia more times in their 80 league meetings since 1969, but Gor Mahia have won more league titles and have enjoyed a better performance in the league over the last decade.
During this period, Ingwe were relegated once. It will be Stewart Hall’s first derby as AFC Leopards’ coach.
