Mashemeji derby players: Help us find these children

Gor and AFC players united for lost kids [Courtesy]

In most football matches around the globe, players are normally accompanied to the pitch by child mascots.

Match organisers say this is done to promote childrens' rights, bring innocence to football, fulfill children's' dreams or making a profit of it, and remind players that children are looking up to them.

Children have appeared with football players at least since the 1990s either as one mascot for each team or one for every player.

In Kenya, it was a little different yesterday when Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards players walked on to the pitch with no mascots.

The two sides showed up with photographs of missing children at the kick-off in Sunday’s Mashemeji Derby which ended in a 3-1 triumph to Gor. 

The photographs were meant to raise awareness about missing children around the country, a trend that has become worrying in recent times.

The photographs were meant to raise awareness about missing children around the country [Courtesy]

This campaign was in collaboration with Missing Child Kenya, a community-led portal that works with organizations and individuals in the child protection sector and the public to help share information on missing children using various media platforms and increase search efforts at no cost to the affected families.

Kipkirui sinks Ingwe

Nicholas Kipkirui opened the scoring in the 26th minute before he capitalized on Leopards' defensive blunder after being set up by Jacques Tuyisenge on the hour mark to double the lead.

He was then involved in Gor’s third goal scored by Tuyisenge before Vincent scored a late consolation goal for Ingwe.

Mashemeji Derby is arguably the biggest fixture in Kenyan football watched by many fans around the country both on and off the stadium.

Our hope at Game Yetu and across the footballing nation is that the children rejoin their families.