It will be third clash for Gor, Leopards outside Kenya
What you need to know:
- The first time the two teams met outside the country was in 1980 in Cecafa Club Championships final in Malawi, where Gor Mahia won 3-2 to lift the title. They won it again in 1981 at Nairobi’s City Stadium, this time beating Tanzania’s Simba SC 1-0.
- K’Ogalo again beat AFC Leopards 2-0 in an all-Kenyan final of the 1985 Cecafa Club Championship in Khartoum.
When Gor Mahia take on rivals AFC Leopards on Sunday in SportPesa Super Cup final in Dar es Salaam, it will mark the third time the Kenyan derby will be staged abroad since 1985.
The first time the two teams met outside the country was in 1980 in Cecafa Club Championships final in Malawi, where Gor Mahia won 3-2 to lift the title. They won it again in 1981 at Nairobi’s City Stadium, this time beating Tanzania’s Simba SC 1-0.
K’Ogalo again beat AFC Leopards 2-0 in an all-Kenyan final of the 1985 Cecafa Club Championship in Khartoum. William Obwaka, then a medical student at the University of Nairobi, was the hero, scoring both goals.
Leopards had reached the final unbeaten, but a last-minute change of squad ordered by their club boss, Alfred Sambu, worked against them.
According to Peter Lichungu, who was in the team that reached the final unbeaten, Sambu, who was monitoring the event from Nairobi, telephoned Leopards’ technical bench, led by Ugandan Robert Kiberu and Gerry Saurer, and said: “This is the line-up that is going to play.” He then proceeded to give the line-up.
on Sunday, the 15-time Kenyan Premier League champions will be seeking to keep a perfect record against Ingwe outside the country, while Leopards will be out to break it.
In Dar es Salaam, 13-time Kenyan champions Leopards reached the inaugural SportPesa Super Cup finals after going through penalties.
Gor Mahia have scored four goals, two against Zanzibar’s Jang’ombe and Nakuru AllStars to reach the final where the winner stands to take home Sh3 million and a chance to play English Premier League side Everton. Enroute, Leopards eliminated Singida United 5-4 at Uhuru Stadium via penalties penalties before downing Yanga 4-2 also on post-match lotteries.
While Gor will be fielding a second-string side, Leopards have their entire squad that has been playing in the domestic league this season. K’Ogalo’s imports - Godfrey Walusimbi, Karim Nizigiyimana, Jean-Baptiste Mugiraneza and Jacques Tuyisenge - are with their national teams for 2019 Afcon qualifiers, while captain Musa Mohammed, Boniface Oluoch and Ernest Wendo are with Harambee Stars in Sierra Leone. Leopards have won Cecafa clubs title four times - in 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
