Nairobi derby
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| City or region | Nairobi, Kenya |
|---|---|
| Teams involved | A.F.C. Leopards Gor Mahia |
| First contested | 5 May 1968[1] |
| Number of meetings | 73 |
| Most wins | A.F.C. Leopards (25) |
| Most recent meeting | Gor Mahia 2 A.F.C. Leopards 1 (17 November 2012)[2] |
| All-time series | A.F.C. Leopards: 25 Drawn: 27 Gor Mahia: 21 |
The Nairobi derby (also known as the Shemeji derby and the Kenya derby and lately as the Ingo-Dala derby) is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in Nairobi; A.F.C. Leopards and Gor Mahia. It is considered the oldest, the most intense, the most famous and the most bitter rivalry of all time in the history of Kenyan football. Fans of both A.F.C. Leopards and Gor Mahia (often referred to by their nicknames, Ingwe and Kogalo, respectively) recognize each other as archrivals. AFC Leopards has won the Kenyan Premier League a record 13 times, one better than Gor's 12 titles.
As of 17 November 2012, A.F.C. Leopards have beaten Gor Mahia 25 times, while Gor Mahia have beaten A.F.C. Leopards 21 times. All of the 27 other derby matches between the two teams ended in draws.
The two clubs have been bitter rivals since the league's inception in 1963. In a match on 23 March 2012, Gor Mahia fans began to riot after defender Ali Abondo was given a red card following a dangerous tackle on Leopards' Amon Muchiri. Gor Mahia was banned by the Sports Stadia Management Board from using their facilities for the rest of the 2012 season (those being the Nyayo National Stadium and the Kasarani Stadium) as a result.[3][4][5] This was also the reason for the postponing of their Round of 8 derby match in the 2012 KPL Top 8 Cup.[6][7]
Before that, on Heroes' Day 2011, Leopards fans had caused abandonment of an FKL Cup quarter final by pelting linesmen with objects after Gor Mahia went ahead with a superbly worked goal from a Moses Odhiambo and Moses Otieno combination which saw the former head in a superbly taken free kick by the latter. Leopards were made to forfeit the game and controversially escaped further bans despite the 1-0 scoreline being allowed to stand. Gor Mahia went on to memorably lift the Cup beating Sofapaka at the Nairobi City Stadium six days later and earn a right to represent Kenya in the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup.[citation needed]
Fans
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 make the derby matches "thrillers".
Clubs' honours
These are the major honours of A.F.C. Leopards and Gor Mahia:
| National Competition | A.F.C. Leopards | Gor Mahia |
|---|---|---|
| Kenyan Premier League | 13 | 12 |
| FKF Cup | 8 | 10 |
| Kenyan Super Cup | 0 | 1 |
| KPL Top 8 Cup | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 21 | 24 |
| African Competition | A.F.C. Leopards | Gor Mahia |
|---|---|---|
| CECAFA Clubs Cup | 5 | 5 |
| CAF Cup Winners' Cup | 0 | 1 |
| CAF Champions League | 0 | 0 |
| CAF Confederations Cup | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 6 |
References
- ^ Brian Moseti (21 September 2012). "Fact file: AFC Leopards SC vs Gor Mahia FC". Futaa.com. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ "Gor Mahia v AFC Leopards - Match Report". Futaa.com. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "Gor Mahia banned from using Sport stadia facilities". The Standard (Nairobi, Kenya: StandardMedia.co.ke). 23 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Stadium ban for Gor Mahia". Nairobi, Kenya: SuperSport.com. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Gor Mahia Banned from Nyayo Stadium". KASSFM.co.ke. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "New date for AFC-Gor Top 8 clash". Nairobi, Kenya: Futaa.com. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "Magelo declares readiness for Gor". Nairobi, Kenya: Futaa.com. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
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