Struggling Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) giants, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia will face off at the Thika-Sub County Stadium in the second leg of the Mashemeji Derby.Despite the league announcing that the derby is on, both teams have threatened to boycott the match as the federation is yet to remit the winners and runners-up money from the FKF Cup that was concluded earlier this month. The two teams have issued threats despite the fact that FKF had promised to pay the money by August 5th. the federation has warned of dire consequences should the two teams failed to honour the game.The hype that surrounds the derby has not been witnessed much this season largely due to the financial challenges both teams are going through and due to the fact that both teams are not in the race for the title.The two teams have already met twice this season; In a league match that ended in a barren draw and an FKF Cup final that ended in a barren draw before Gor Mahia won in post-match penalties courtesy of Gad Mathews heroics.Over the years Gor has been dominant in this fixture, the last time Leopards picked a win in the match was in March 2016 when a Lamine Diallo late goal gave Ingwe a 1-0 win at the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani. The other matches have ended in Gor Mahia’s favor with a handful of draws in between.⚽| The #MashemejiDerby is finally here.The big Football Rivals Meet once again.Who Wins it??Watch the Match Live on @StarTimesKE BTV #BKPL pic.twitter.com/Z2i05RrBi5— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 30, 2021 Leopards are currently third on the log with 44 points while Gor Mahia are eighth with 40 points. Both teams are in stuttering form at the moment, Leopards have lost two of their last four games while Gor Mahia have not registered a win in seven league outings.AFC Leopards captain Isaac Kipyegon understands the importance of getting a positive result in the derby.“The derby is always important, it’s more than just the three points. Everyone fights to get a positive result in the derby and this will be no different,” he told Mozzart Sport.Gor Mahia interim head coach Sammy Pamzo Omolo lamented that his players have boycotted training since they played Ulinzi Stars six days ago.“I have not seen any of the players since our loss to Ulinzi a week ago. I wouldn’t really tell if the boycott has something to do with salary arrears. Honestly, the scenario puts me in a very tight situation because the fans won’t understand in case we continue with our poor run,” he told the Star Newspaper.
