The Mashemeji Derby Story Since Gor, Leopards Signed With SportPesa

NAIROBI, Kenya- On Friday, March 4, 2016, the history of the Mashemeji Derby- the eternal fixture between Gor Mahia FC and AFC Leopards SC- was altered forever.

This was the date when technology and entertainment business SportPesa announced they would be the shirt partners of the most decorated football teams in the land.

SportPesa was the first entity to break the K’Ogalo and Ingwe divide. For the first time in history, the arch enemies, bitter rivals and biggest adversaries in Kenyan football could share a name across their revered jerseys.

Under the partnership that was reinstated in March 2018 for a three-year period, the Mashemeji Derby acquired a new edge as the most famous football fixture recovered some of the magic that it had lost in the past decade when Gor and Leopards struggled to make ends meet.

“It has been tough since our last sponsor pulled out. Corporate bodies shied away from us because they feared to associate their brands with us because of hooliganism,” said Gor long-serving chairman Ambrose Rachier during the first announcement of the deal.

Here, we look back at the derbies showdowns since the 17-time league winners Gor and their 12-time domestic champions Leopards took the unprecedented move to share a shirt partner ahead of Sunday's meeting at MISC Kasarani.

AFC Leopards SC 1 v Gor Mahia FC 0 (March 6, 2016)

Two days after the teams signed with SportPesa, Leopards who had a roaring start of the season under their then new Belgian head coach, Ivan Minnaert, took on the champions who were wobbling after sweeping all before in the title-winning 2015 campaign.

Ivorian striker Mohammed Lamine Diallo came off the bench to score the winning goal as grabbed the bragging rights after beating Gor 1-0 at the MISC Kasarani Stadium, the winner coming in the 83rd minute.

It was to be the last game for Gor’s two-time title winning Scottish coach, Frank Nutall, who left days later for Egypt to join Zamalek FC as Leopard’s charmed start to the campaign continued under Minnaert.

It also marked the last time Leopards have beaten Gor in a Mashemeji Derby to date.

Gor Mahia FC 2 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (October 23, 2016)

This second leg league meeting saw former Brazilian international, Jose Marcelo ‘Ze Maria’ Ferreira take charge of the biggest fixture in the land for the first time.

Leopards were rocking after their bright start turned into a nightmare, with Minnaert already shown the door at the Den and former star, Ezekiel Akwana in charge.

Uganda born striker, Meddie Kagere scored from the spot in the 65th before Enock Agwanda, now with Sony Sugar FC, sealed the lead with a scintillating strike.

The result left four-point gap between Gor and eventual league winners Tusker FC who went on to deny K’Ogalo a fourth straight league-winning successes.

Leopards caretaker boss at the time, Akwana, was also shown the door shortly afterwards.

AFC Leopards SC 0 v Gor Mahia FC 3 (March 7, 2017)

Goals from Meddie Kagere, George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo and Timothy Otieno disarmed Leopards in a lop-sided derby that sparked the meltdown at the Den.

Leopards had started the season well and led the SPL standings under Briton Stewart Hall and it did not take long after the hiding for the Ingwe boss to pack and leave as the musical coaching chairs continued.

The high of winning the first leg derby put wind in the sails of the Gor campaign despite the exit of ex-Brazilian international, Jose Marcelo ‘Ze Maria’ Ferreira who masterminded the big victory mid-season.

Rival AFC Leopards SC (left) and Gor Mahia FC fans exchange greeting ahead of the 85th Mashemeji Derby at the MISC Kasarani on Saturday, February 8, 2019. PHOTO/SPN

Gor Mahia 3 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (June 11, 2017)

The first Mashemeji Derby outside Kenya since 1984 took place at the Uhuru Stadium; Dar-es-Salaam where Gor whipped their arch rivals to lift the inaugural edition of the eight-team regional knockout tournament held in Tanzania.

Gor simply ran their arch-rivals rugged but they had to wait until the second half to bury the old enemy. 

Timothy Otieno opened the scoring in the 60th minute before two substitutes, Oliver Maloba and John ‘Softie’ Ndirangu buried any hopes Leopards had of clinching the trophy with clinical strikes in the 78th and added time in that order.

Victory saw Gor win the right to play Everton FC in Dar barely a month later besides pocketing USD30,000 in prize money.

Gor Mahia FC 1 v AFC Leopards SC 1 (August 27, 2017)

Former Gor Captain Musa Mohamed put through to his own net in the 22nd before Meddie Kagere capitalised on a poor Musa Mudde clearance to equalise.

At the time, Gor were on course to reclaim the SPL title from 2015 winners Tusker FC whilst it marked the first Mashemeji Derby of the season for the men in charge of the clubs, Kerr at Gor and the returning Robert ‘The Lion’ Matano in the Ingwe dugout.

Kerr went on to lead Gor to their 16th domestic crown as Matano steered their archrivals to the domestic cup, a first trophy for Leopards since 2013.

Gor Mahia FC 1 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (January 28, 2017)

Coming in as league champions and domestic cup winners, new captain and defender Harun Shakava led from the front with the winner to inspire Gor to a 1-0 victory over AFC Leopards SC in the 2018 KPL Super Cup.

Shakava settled the contest in it the 40th minute of the first half to hand the 2017 league winners the bragging rights over their arch rivals and domestic cup champions, Leopards in the season curtain raiser at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru on Sunday.

George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo and Francis Kahata exchanged lovely passes before the former whipped in a teasing ball into the box that Shakava rose to head past Leopards goalkeeper, Gabriel Andika, in the decisive moment of the game.

Gor Mahia 0 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (Gor win 5-4 on penalties) May 1, 2017

As the country marked the annual Labour Day, Gor and Leopards returned to Nakuru for another Mashemeji Derby showdown where the team that would play English second division side, Hull City FC on their historic tour of the country on May 13 was at stake.

Nothing could separate the rivals after 90 minutes and penalties were called upon to determine the winner of the fixture dubbed ‘Hull City Challenge’ where Gor kept their nerves in a marathon shootout to prevail 5-4.

Striker Vincent Oburu sent his kick sky-high to hand Gor the win in the thrilling contest with all the other takers hitting the target from 12 yards.

Barely two weeks later, Gor put a brave display to hold Hull to a 0-0 stalemate in normal time before they too went down 3-4 to post-match penalties at a jam-packed MISC Kasarani.

AFC Leopards SC 1 v Gor Mahia FC 2 (July 22, 2018)

The first league meeting of the season, Gor defeated Leopards 2-1 in the 85th Mashemeji Derby hosted at the MISC Kasarani.

George 'Blackberry' Odhiambo delivered Gor 's match winner as the first leg of the Mashemeji derby lived up to the billing.

Odhiambo volleyed home Francis Kahata's delivery from the right flank in the 57th minute to secure a 2-1 victory for the record Kenyan champions.

Gor Mahia FC players (L to R) Shafiq Batambuze, Jacques Tuyisenge and Harun Shakava celebrate the opening goal with scorer Kenneth Muguna (partly hidden) during their SportPesa Premier League Mashemeji Derby against AFC Leopards SC at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Saturday, February 9, 2019. PHOTO/SPN

In the 21st minute, Jacques Tuyisenge broke the deadlock when he capitalised on Salim Abdalla's defensive error to beat the onrushing goalkeeper Ezekiel Owade.

And after a series of raids, Leopards were rewarded on the stroke of halftime when Whvonne Isuza volleyed home Dennis Sikhayi's pinpointed cross, leaving Boniface Oluoch rooted for what turned up to be a consolation as Gor opened a 12-point gap at the summit of the SportPesa Premier League following the victory.

Gor Mahia FC 2 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (August 25, 2018)

A chaotic cocktail of wild celebrations and bitter disappointment marked the frenzied 86th Mashemeji Derby on Saturday.

Gor Mahia FC signed off their 2018 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) in style by downing the archenemy, AFC Leopards SC 2-0 to spark joy in excelsis among the Green Army supporters of the now 17-time domestic league champions.

On the other side of the biggest divide in Kenyan football, defeat was overwhelming for some Leopards fans that started wailing uncontrollably as their worst nightmare unfolded. That of escorting their bitterest rivals to the altar of glory they last experienced in 1998.

Boniface Omondi and Bernard Ondiek's first half goals is all that the fringe Gor side needed to complete a double over their eternal rivals who confirmed a successful defence of the league crown making victory all the sweeter.

Gor Mahia FC 2 v AFC Leopards SC 0 (February 9, 2019)

SportPesa Premier League (SPL) champions, Gor punished their domestic arch-rivals AFC Leopards SC for sloppy defending by racing to a 2-0 victory in the 87th Mashemeji Derby at the MISC Kasarani on Saturday.

Midfielders Kenneth Muguna and Francis Kahata stole the headlines when they struck in both halves for the record 17-time domestic league winners who earned the bragging rights in this eternal fixture that is the biggest football game in Kenya.

Crucially, Gor delivered a terse warning to the challengers of the crown by jumping up to second on the SPL log with 22 points from 11 fixtures, three adrift of log leaders Mathare United FC who have played a game more.

New Leopards head coach -Rwandese Andre Casa Mbungo- now has a real job in his hands with his side left languishing in 15th on 10, two above the SPL basement as the proud 12-time league champions face the risk of being dragged into a relegation dog fight having suffered their sixth loss of an underwhelming campaign.

It was a first Mashemeji victory for Hassan Oktay, who succeeded Dylan Kerr before the start of the 2018/19 season.