Kenyan champions Gor Mahia host struggling arch-rivals AFC Leopards at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Saturday afternoon. This will be the 85th meeting of the fixture popularly known as the Mashemeji Derby.
K’Ogalo has dominated most meetings between them with AFC Leopard beating Gor Mahia way back in 2016.
Both teams will be hoping to earn a victory for bragging rights and get more points to help their Kenya Premier League(KPL) campaign.
But is this classic derby slowly losing its allure?
Gone are the years when the derby literally brought the country to a stand still. The recent fixtures are a pale shadow of days when busloads of both sets of fans travelled from their upcountry bases to watch live from the stadium and fans from both teams fill shops to purchase replica shirts and advance tickets.
While speaking to Nation Sports, former AFC Leopards striker Boniface Ambani believes that Ingwe‘s poor form could be the main factor of reduced thrill.
“It’s just there. Many people aren’t aware there’s a big derby yet this should be the biggest game in our domestic league. I’ve played derbies in two different countries (Tanzania and India) where teams camp outside the city under a tight security a week before the match,” Ambani said.
“Sadly, it’s not the case here partly because of Ingwe’s poor run and signing of below average players.”
The dip of the thrill has, however, not dampened the spirits of die-hard fans with several expressing their views online.
This used to be one of the best rivals football match but AFC are always being the underdogs since the 2000s when going to this game… #MashemejiDerby pic.twitter.com/ln4ELDpsfu
— Pogba_mwangi (@MwangiPogba) February 9, 2019
@FrankOrinde tweeted, “#MashemejiDerby is not any other ordinary match you’d want to miss…..”
#MashemejiDerby is not any other ordinary match you’d want to miss…..#Sirkal pic.twitter.com/U9xaOhEL5l
— Frank Orinde (@FrankOrinde) February 8, 2019
@TomBwana, a Gor Mahia fan urged his team, “It’s the day. The great #MashemejiDerby is here. The biggest match of our lives. Give us joy, Gor Mahia. #Sirkal”
It's the day. The great #MashemejiDerby is here. The biggest match of our lives. Give us joy, Gor Mahia. #Sirkal
— Tom Bwana (@TomBwana) February 9, 2019
But @clarke_sumbule hopes the Ingwe will redeem itself. He says, “We might be having in-house problems at the den but today I have a strong feeling afc is restoring pride #MashemejiDerby”
We might be having in-house problems at the den but today I have a strong feeling afc is restoring pride #MashemejiDerby
— Clarke Sumbule (@clarke_sumbule) February 9, 2019
Do you think the tie is slowly losing its former glory due to Ingwe‘s dip in form?