All roads lead to Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium Sunday for the Kenyan Premier League Super Cup clash pitting Gor Mahia against their arch-rivals AFC Leopards.
The fixture, which brings KPL champions (Gor) against domestic cup winners (Leopards), will give away for start of the KPL 2018 season next week.
But before then, all ingredients are in place for another explosive “Mashemeji Derby” as the tie between the two oldest and the most successful clubs in Kenya is known.
Cup holders K’Ogalo as Gor is nicknamed will be contesting the league appetizer for a seventh consecutive time and 8th overall.
They have bagged it a record four times (2009, 2012, 2015 and 2017and lost it three times (2012, 2013 and 2015).
Ingwe, as Leopards are famously known, on the other hand will be participating in their second Super Cup.
Their last appearance was in 2010 when they lost 1-0 to 2009 KPL champions Sofapaka.
In the lead up to the match, both clubs played a friendly each against visiting KCCA of Ugandan with Gor winning theirs 4-2 at Afraha, while Leopards edged the Ugandan champions 2-1 in Machakos.
“We are ready for the match, the preparations have been fantastic and we are really eager to bag our fist trophy of the season.
“It is very important to start on a high note as it plays a huge role in setting the tempo for the season,” Gor’s coach Dylan Kerr said.
He added: The stakes are high, it’s a rivalry and we definitely want to own the bragging rights. We have some new faces in the playing unit and they have settled in well.
“We did well last season and the bar has been set already. We have to win the league with a bigger point margin that last season and do well continentally.”
Ingwe were doubtful for the game early Thursday morning as word trickled through that they could hand a walkover due to lack of funds to finance the trip to Nakuru.
However, help came forth quick with KPL and other well-wishers chipping in the preserve the party.
“We have prepared well for the match against Gor Mahia and I am optimistic we will emerge victors,” Ingwe’s coach Robert “the Lion” Matano declared.
He added: “Our target is to do better that last season. With the squad I have I am sure we will achieve our goals for the season in the KPL and also do well in the CAF Confederations Cup.”
Gor and Leopards are the Kenya’s representatives in the African Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup respectively.
K’Ogalo holds a better head to head record against their “Mashemeji” in the recent three matches with two wins and a draw but this will not hold sway tomorrow as the derby knows no form.
The match will air LIVE on KTN News Channel starting 2:00PM.
