- Kenyan football has received a much needed boost as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards fight for the league title
- Gor Mahia are looking to regain the title they lost last season, while AFC Leopards have not won the league since 1998
- We look at the history between the two rivals in the championship race and why it is important for them to maintain this until the end
The local soccer corner of social media has, of late, been full of phrases like ‘leta teboo’ and ‘kel mesaa’ while Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards exchanging the top position.
Source: Facebook
For various reasons, despite being the most popular sport in the country, Kenyan football has been struggling with a lack of interest, fan apathy and little support from the government and companies.
Why the rivalry between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is good for Kenyan football
However, this season, the Kenyan Premier League has been given a rare and timely medicine; Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards are both in the title race.
Seeing Kenya’s most successful and followed clubs compete for the title feels very important.
What matters is not the time, but what this moment represents for a league that has been searching for relevance for a long time. Because when Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards are both competing for the same title, the entire Kenyan football system reacts.
“Historically, the two clubs have dominated in all aspects: fan culture, trophies, and match experience,” explains Dollar SM, journalist and avid AFC Leopards fan.
“Toe-to-toe competition will spark much-needed conversation. It’s easy and natural for fans of the two clubs to tease each other.”
It is true that it is the middle of the season, and much can still change in the 34-game campaign, but as things stand, both teams are locked on 33 points. Gor Mahia are slightly ahead on goal difference but have also played less games than their opponents.
‘Professional’ because the game in question is an unsettled game against Nairobi United, which was called off after a fan dispute with a 1-1 draw.
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Championship race between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards
The last time it was this close, in terms of points, between the two teams was in 2012, when neither of them won the league. Gor Mahia finished second with 59 points, while Ingwe finished third with 57 points. Tusker won with 60 points.
Since 2009, Gor Mahia have won the league nine times, while Ingwe’s best finish was second in 2013, when K’Ogalo won the league by a margin of 10 points. In the same period, Leopards have finished higher than Sirkal only once.
Source: Facebook
In other words, Leopards have never come to a party, but under Fred Ambani, they seem to be making a lot of sense this season. We have also not forgotten that they had a change in the leadership of the club with the legend Boniface Ambani taking over.
After starting the season with three unimpressive draws, Ambani turned the corner and has lost just twice since. The peak of this series of forms was the Mashemeji derby victory, where Julius Masaba’s goal was the difference.
For Gor Mahia, head coach Charles Akonnor started his Kenya period with a 1-0 loss against Bidco United but recovered to start a seven match unbeaten streak. Later, they suffered a run of form, going three games without a win, including losing the Mashemeji derby, to allow Leopards to overtake them.
The situation is so volatile that every time the other team plays, the result is followed closely and not just for the usual ‘Brother-in-law has lost’ purposes but because it matters in the championship race.
“There is no pressure at all. We focus on every game as it comes. To win the league, we have to win as many games as possible. We do not underestimate any team. Every game is important,” said Gor Mahia assistant coach, Bismark Kobi-Mensah after their win against Mara Sugar on Sunday.
The change is important because Kenyan football is stronger when its big institutions are competitive at the same time. And when the fans of the two teams, which are the majority, continue to encourage their teams to continue while exchanging spades online, our football wins.
The importance of Masheji derby
More interestingly, over the years, Mashemei Derby has been reduced to a one-match spectacle, separated from the championship picture, because when only one giant is competing, the derby feels like a routine – only another game needs to finish with them.
But after the first match and the situation that is emerging, it prepares well for the rematch for the championship decision.
“I think the competition of both teams will increase. The days of us walking the league are over for us because every team, not only AFC, wants to strengthen their squads,” said George Mwangi, a Gor Mahia fan.
“Also, this push is important as fans will return to the stadiums to support their teams. After CHAN, the momentum has been increasing, people want to know what is going on, and Gor and AFC continuing with that is what we need.”
Who else is in the running for the championship?
Furthermore, six points separate the Mashemeji clubs from the chasing group, Kakamega Homeboyz, Shabana FC and Murang’a Seals. After Gor and Ingwe, Shabana is the most supported team. How cool would it be to have them in the championship conversation too?
The defending champions Kenya Policecorporate clubs Tusker, KCB and Posta Rangers and newcomers Nairobi United are also in the mix.
With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil just around the corner, what we see now is more than a championship race.
It is a revival of competition and passion, something that Kenyan football has been longing for for a long time. And keep it up!
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