When is the Mashemeji derby between AFC Leopards & Gor Mahia and how can you watch?

The top-flight fixture comes just a week after record league champions K’Ogalo fired their head coach Leonardo Martins Neiva (46) owing to a string of poor results. It means assistants Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and Michael Nam, who were appointed on an interim basis, will be in charge of Gor Mahia during the derby.

Fans of both AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia (often referred to by their nicknames, Ingwe and K'Ogalo, respectively) recognise each other as arch-rivals. As of 2024, Gor Mahia have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 21 times, while Leopards have 12 league titles to their name.

The two clubs have been bitter rivals since they first locked horns on May 5th 1968. The Gor Mahia fanbase is predominantly Luo while that of AFC leopards is mostly Luhya, making the rivalry partly tribal despite the significant support of "neutrals" (other communities or nationalities) for both clubs. The passion of the fans during encounters between the teams adds to the intensity of the derby matches.

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?

AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia will lock horns on Sunday, November 14th at Nyayo Stadium.

The game will be televised live on Tanzania’s Pay TV Channel Azam TV, who are FKF broadcast partners, on Azam Sports 4HD and will kick off at 14:00.

AFC Leopards vs Gor Mahia 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.

Last season, it was K'Ogalo who took the bragging rights by sealing a double over their nemesis. In the first-round meeting, Gor Mahia secured a 2-0 win before sealing a 1-0 victory in the second-round meeting on their way to winning a record 21st league title.

In 2023, the two sides battled to a 0-0 draw in the first-round meeting but Ingwe took the honours in the second-round fixture after beating Gor Mahia 2-1, and ended their 10-match winless run against the champions.

During the 2021 campaign, Gor Mahia emerged 1-0 winners in the first meeting before the two sides shared the spoils in the reverse fixture.

In the 2019 campaign, Gor Mahia proved too strong for Ingwe. In the first-round meeting, they hammered Ingwe 3-1 before they sealed a memorable double after thrashing them 4-1 in the second-round fixture. In that season only, Gor Mahia scored seven goals against their rivals and conceded only two.

However, heading into Sunday’s derby, Ingwe are enjoying a better campaign than their rivals. Ingwe are sitting fifth in the 18-team league table with 11 points from eight matches. They have managed three wins, three, two draws and three defeats.

Meanwhile, Gor Mahia’s campaign has not been the best as they are sitting 12th with eight points from six matches. They have suffered two defeats - 2-1 against Nairobi City Stars and 2-0 against Bandari FC - drawn two and won two.

The wins came against Mathare United, who they hammered 4-0 in their season opener, and Posta Rangers, who they defeated 3-0. The unconvincing results forced the club to part ways with Martins Neiva.

What are club legends saying?

Former Gor Mahia goalkeeper Mike Kisaghi believes AFC Leopards stand a good chance of beating Gor Mahia on Sunday.

“With the problems facing Gor Mahia, i don’t see how they will manage to get a positive result against AFC Leopards. Form sometimes doesn't count in derbies but I see a situation where AFC will carry the day,” Kisaghi told Flashscore.

“AFC Leopards have their own problems but Gor Mahia problems are more and need to be sorted urgently if they are to retain the title. They fired the coach and before the new technical bench gets to bring the players together maybe it will take five to six games.

“It is the reason I feel AFC will take the advantage and carry the bragging rights. It will now depend on how AFC will approach the game; if they plan well, I don’t see Gor Mahia beating them this time around.”

Former Gor Mahia coach Bob Oyugi echoed the same sentiments insisting Ingwe will head into the derby as favourites considering what Gor Mahia are currently going through.

“I will go with AFC Leopards to win, but if they plan and execute their game plan well,” Oyugi told Flashscore. “The situation in Gor Mahia is not friendly and they have not been playing well. AFC are not better either but being a derby they can spring a surprise and take home the points.”

Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Mathews Ottamax has called on fans to desist from hooliganism during the derby.

“The beautiful game of football can be very dull to both players and fans without the beautiful faces of our ladies and kids in the stands. Football is a game of bizarre goals, from own goals to costly mistakes, but these shouldn’t be reasons to trigger doubt and barbaric acts on players and other innocent fans,”

Ottamax, who played for both AFC and Gor Mahia before hanging up his gloves, told Flashscore:

“In other words, let’s come out in large numbers to embrace this weekend’s derby without acts of hooliganism.”