The 97th derby between Kenya’s most successful clubs in the league’s history comes at a time when K’Ogalo are fighting to win a third straight crown. Having won a record 21st title last season, Gor Mahia are currently among the favourites to be champions at the end of the season.
As of last season, Gor Mahia have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 21 times, while Leopards have 12 league titles to their name, and the two clubs have been bitter rivals since they first locked horns on May 5th, 1968.
Arguably, the real derby was born in 1980, after K’Ogalo dethroned Ingwe (then Abaluhya FC) at the final of the East and Central Africa Club championship in Malawi. Before that, the dominant match in Kenyan football shifted depending on which teams were dominating the landscape.
When is the derby and how can you watch?
Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards will lock horns on Sunday, May 11th at Kasarani Stadium. The match will be the first to be hosted at the iconic 60,000 seater stadium since it was closed down by the Kenyan government for renovation and upgrading in August 2023.
Alongside Nyayo and other venues, Kasarani has been undergoing renovation in readiness to co-host the 2024 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The game will be televised live on Tanzania’s Pay TV Channel Azam TV, who are FKF's broadcast partners, on Azam Sports 4HD and will kick off at 14:00.
Gor Mahia vs AFC Leopards head-to-head
Gor Mahia have dominated the derby in recent years, with Ingwe mostly playing catch-up. As per the records, the last six matches have seen Ingwe manage only one win against K’Ogalo.
The first meeting for the current campaign ended in a 0-0 draw at a sold-out Nyayo Stadium. Last season, it was K’Ogalo, who went home smiling after sealing a double over their rivals. In the first-round meeting, Gor Mahia secured a 2-0 win before registering a 1-0 victory in the second-round meeting on their way to winning a record 21st league title.
In the previous campaign, after a 0-0 outcome from the first meeting, Ingwe finally ended their poor run against Gor Mahia in the return meeting 2-1. Before the victory, Ingwe had gone for 10 matches without beating K’Ogalo.
During the 2021 campaign, Gor Mahia emerged 1-0 winners in the first round meeting before the reverse fixture ended in a 0-0 draw, while in 2019, Gor Mahia proved too strong for Ingwe. K’Ogalo won the first round 3-1 before they sealed a memorable double after thrashing them 4-1 in the second-round fixture. The season saw Gor Mahia put seven goals past their rivals and concede only two.
Form guide for Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards
Starting with the reigning champions, they will go into the must-win fixture sitting second on the 16-team league table with 53 points from 29 matches. Gor Mahia are just two points behind table leaders Kenya Police FC, and one ahead of second-placed Tusker FC.
K’Ogalo have managed 15 wins, eight draws and suffered six defeats. Since drawing 0-0 against AFC Leopards, they have played five league matches, winning three, losing one and drawing one. They beat KCB 1-0, drew 1-1 against Sofapaka, suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against FC Talanta, recovered to hammer Mara Sugar 4-0, and beat Shabana FC 1-0.
For AFC Leopards, they are facing another trophyless campaign as they sit sixth on the log with 42 points accumulated from 10 wins, 12 draws, and seven defeats. Since the draw against K’Ogalo, they have only managed one win from their last five league matches, losing two and drawing two.
Ingwe lost 2-1 against Kakamega Homeboyz, 1-0 against Posta Rangers, before picking up a 0-0 draw against Ulinzi Stars, recovered to beat Bidco United 3-1, before registering another 0-0 draw against Tusker.
Mashemeji derby ticketing information
According to a statement from FKF, tickets for the derby are officially on sale, with a total of 45,000 tickets available. 5000 tickets will be allocated to the VVIP, while 40,000 for the regular ticket holders. Supporters have been encouraged to secure their slots early to avoid the last-minute rush.
Here’s the full breakdown: Regular Ticket: KES 300, VVIP Ticket: KES 5,000 and Car Parking: KES 300.
The Federation further confirmed that there will be no physical tickets available at the gates and thus urged fans to purchase tickets strictly online through tikiti.co.ke. The sale of tickets will close on Saturday, May 10th.
