AFC Leopards fail to beat rivals Gor Mahia in their eighth meeting
AFC Leopards bravely fought to a barren draw with their traditional rivals Gor Mahia in the 95th Mashemeji Derby at Nyayo National Stadium yesterday.
Ingwe thus failed in their bid to end a 15-game winless run against Kogalo which is easily the longest period without success in the 55-year history of the fixture.
According to the statistics, Kogalo has won 32 previous encounters whilst Ingwe has emerged triumphant 27 times.
Ecstatic fans jammed the stands as early as 1.00 pm and were dressed in green and blue regalia, reflecting Gor and Leopards’ official colours respectively.
Leopards, who struggled in the early parts of the season, were seeking to bridge the gap and maintain their winning form as they came into the game on the back of three wins on the bounce, the latest of which was a 1-0 win over Kenya Police.
Gor also come into the derby, which also served as the first leg of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League, on a run of good form as they were unbeaten in five matches and recorded two straight wins
The last time Ingwe beat Kogalo was in 2016 courtesy of Ivorian Lamine Diallo’s strike with Leopards’ Belgian coach Patrick Aussiems overly desirous to reverse the statistics.
Aussiems praised his players for a job well done against a team that had made it almost a routine to beat them.
He added”: The performance was superb and despite not being amongst the frontrunners for now, we are looking at the bigger picture of being among the hottest title contenders for the title,”
“It was a big game for us and a special one for the fans. It was like any other game, but we have to be thankful for a share of the spoils and especially given that our team is weaved around many young players,” offered Aussiems.
During the end-to-end game, Leopards’ Jeffery Owiti put Clifford Nyakeya in an open scoring situation with the latter’s efforts being cleared off the line in the 81st minute.
Benson Omala, the leading goal scorer in the league with nine strikes, also came close to scoring for Gor in the dying minutes.
Elsewhere at Mbaraki Sports ground in Mombasa, hosts Bandari called it late to edge struggling Nairobi City Stars 2-1.
National team Harambee Stars midfielder Hassan Abdallah gave Bandari the lead in the 38th minute before Ezekiel Odera restored parity for City Stars with a penalty conversion in the 45th minute
Meanwhile, Gor Mahia is angling for the signature of Uganda Cranes lead striker Kaddu Patrick Henry.
Kaddu who has played for KCCA, Kitara FC, RBS amongst other clubs has reportedly agreed on terms with the Kenyan giants and is only waiting for the club to be cleared by FIFA over a ban that was imposed on it late last year.
Kaddu is well known for his exploits with Uganda Cranes during the qualifiers for AFCON and his eventual display at the tournament was so immense for his team in Egypt.
The former KCCA FC striker was instrumental in helping his nation qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt; it was his 78th-minute header against Cape Verde which sealed the Cranes’ position in Africa’s elite competition. At KCCA, he managed to form a formidable partnership with his teammates, notably the young Allan Okello, another fast-rising youngster.
His coach at KCCA, Mike Mutebi, described the striker as the next big thing in Ugandan football.
Indeed, his career has been steadily rising over time. Coming to Kenya will surely add to his glittering record where he’s expected to come and sharpen Gor Mahia FC’s attack. K’Ogalo is currently sitting in position 5 in the Kenya Premier League table – five points adrift of the leaders Tusker FC albeit with a game at hand.
Once the matter with FIFA is settled, the Green Army will be glad to welcome Kaddu to the winning team so that he can make his contribution to the team’s success story.
George Sunguti, one of the legends to have featured for Gor and Leopards during his heydays, said the fact that both teams are in a rich vein of form is why the match is unpredictable.
“Both teams have good sets of players who are assets to the playing units. The fact that the league has been of fluctuating fortunes by most teams is why I think the Derby can go either way,” observes Sunguti who is the Head Coach of the Nairobi County football team.
Former Leopards winger Kevin Ateku, who also featured in a number of Derbies before quitting the games, strongly feels that the team which shall take its chances shall prevail in the match.
“Football dynamics have changed and you may find a team that is on top of their game losing to a minnow and vice versa. But if you may ask me, I expect a draw,”
Gor Mahia legend Swaleh “Oswayo” Ochieng, who featured for the team in the historic 2-0 win over Leopards in the 1985 Cecafa Club Championships final in Sudan, feels that the current domineering form by K’ogalo could be advantageous to them in the Derby.
“Gor are currently at the top of their game and I fail to see why the team should not get something in the match,” said Ochieng.
