Is there a better day to write about your favorite team than the eve of the local derby? The 84th edition of the Kenyan clasico, christened Mashemeji Derby, loosely translated to the “in-laws derby”, goes down at 3PM local time, tomorrow, Sunday 22nd July at the 60,000 seater Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi.
Unfortunately, AFC Leopards, fifth on the log with 36 points after 22 matches head into this game as the underdogs. Rodolfo Zapata’s charges will miss key players among them suspended captain Duncan Otieno, and injured duo defender Robinson Kamura and winger Brian Marita who are nursing ankle and hip injuries respectively. They face an impressive Gor Mahia FC who have 49 points, 9 clear points of second placed Sofapaka, after just 19 matches.
Tickets for the game have been priced at Sh500 (Approx $5) VIP and Sh200 (Approx $2) terraces. The derby was initially scheduled for May 26 at Bukhungu Stadium but was postponed to pave way for Harambee Stars’ friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland.
History
AFC Leopards is Kenya’s oldest club and was formed in 1964 by an amalgamation of smaller clubs. AFC Leopards is the abbreviation for Abaluhya Football Club Leopards Sports Club. The club is nicknamed Ingwe (Abaluhya for Leopard )is based in Nairobi and is the second most successful club after bitter rivals Gor Mahia FC. Abaluhya is a Bantu speaking community found in West Kenya. AFC Leopards have won the Kenyan Premier League title 13 times and several semi-finals exists in the CAF Champions League are the most note-worthy achievements in the continent.
Rival club Gor Mahia FC was formed in 1968 968 after the merging of Luo Union and Luo Sports Club. Luo is a Nilotic speaking community in West Kenya settling around Lake Victoria. Gor Mahia was named after legendary medicine man in the folklore renown for his magic. Mahia means Magic in Luo. Gor Mahia nicknames include K'Ogalo (Luo for House of Ogalo, Mayienga (Means The Earthquake in Luo), Sirkal (Luo for The Government) and Taya (Luo for The Light). They are Kenya’s most successful club winning the League a record 16 times and a famous 1987 CAF Champions League finals win.
In a country known more for athletics and probably Rugby in recent times, football is a sport is hugely underdeveloped for a myriad of reasons. Most clubs in the 18 team league use government owned facilities as their home stadiums. These has seen some of the clubs often constantly shift their home ground venues or even share a stadium, especially in the case of the many Nairobi based clubs like Ingwe.
It’s impossible to write about one of these clubs without really writing about the other. The Gor Mahia fanbase is predominantly Luo while that of AFC leopards is mostly Luhya, making the rivalry partly tribal although both clubs enjoy significant support of many neutrals including other. This is where the Mashemeji (In-laws) nickname is coined from as these are two neighboring communities who see in-laws given the high number of intermarriages between them. However, this shouldn’t deceive you, the most watched fixture in Kenyan football calendar is as heated as they come.
Highest Point (s)
AFC Leopards has been a dormant force in recent times due to a number of on and off field issues. My highest point was attending Argentine manager Rodolfo Zapata’s first match in charge of AFC Leopards which coincidentally was a Derby itself. Ingwe suffered a 1-0 defeat to Gor Mahia at Afraha Stadium on May 1st during the Hull City Challenge. Eventual winners Gor Mahia, who had earlier on played Everton in another friendly in Tanzania, played a friendly match against English side Hull City losing on penalties. All four of; AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, Hull City and Everton are sponsored by Kenya’s leading bookmaker Sportpesa.
Lowest Point (s)
The derby has at time turned ugly with fans of either team physically assaulting rivals fans or pelting them with stones. An all time low point was six years ago when five fans lost their lives due to a stampede at the Gate Two entrance of Nyayo stadium.
The match had kicked off and those outside that ground buying tickets or queuing to enter had grown impatient causing the stampede. Former Kenya international goalkeeper, Mathew Ottamax Owino attempts to inform the centre referee of the events outside the stadium were unsuccessful as he was quickly dragged off the pitch by stewards. In a stadium without a public address system, communication barrier never helped the situation. That should never have happened and should never happen again!
Fans and Hooliganism
Given both set of fan’s penchant to congregate at the Tom Mboya statue outside Kenya National Archives in the Nairobi’s Central Business District before holding processions to either Kasarani or Nyayo Stadium and after matches, tempers have always boiled. Severally, it has taken the intervention of Anti-Riot police to cool down the fans.
Match days always result to traffic snarl ups as fans march along the roads to and from the hosting stadium. Still we are passionate about the game like never before.
Crowd troubles inside stadia, pitch invasions, and heavy match venue damage have reared their ugly heads from time to time. The derby rarely fails to live up to its tag as a rabble-rousing fixture
50 years since the first Mashemeji Derby, the rivalry continues. As we go out to enjoy the derby, lets give football a chance and let peace prevail. Ingwe, ours forever!
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