Record league champions Gor Mahia extend their seven year unbeaten record against sworn enemies AFC Leopards following a barren draw staged at the Nyayo Stadium on Sunday 29 January.AFC Leopards came into the encounter enjoying some purple patch, having registered three successive wins against Mathare United, Bandari, and Kenya Police FC.Gor Mahia, on the other hand were looking to extend their imperious record against Ingwe, having recorded nine wins and three draws since AFC Leopards’ last win in March 2016.Despite a number of former players from both sets of teams including Victor Wanyama, Michael Olunga and Kenneth Muguna rallying fans to attend the biggest derby in Kenyan football, the stadium was half full with most fans seemingly opting to attend Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s rally in Kamkunji with Gor Mahia asking for the gathering to be postponed but the call failed to bear fruit.AFC Leopards head coach Patrick Aussems was dejected after failing to win the game despite having the better opportunities to win the encounter. “We are disappointed because we had the best opportunities, they did not get any opportunities apart from some situations in set pieces, we tried to play football but when you can’t win you have to make sure you don’t lose,” said Aussems.His counterpart Johnathan McKinstry was content with not losing the game as he insisted that winning every game in the season is impossible. “We said to our players that we can’t win every game, anyone who thinks you can win every game hasn’t been involved in football but what we say is don’t give any other chances to the other team,” said McKinstry.The game was off to a slow start with both teams playing with the hand break on as the first attempt on goal came in the 10th minute when former AFC Leopards midfielder Austin Odhiambo who was looking to punish his former employers with a long range shot from outside the box but it failed to trouble Levis Opiyo in goal.##NAJAVA_MECA_6978729##The game slumped to a dull phase which saw little goal mouth action but that did not take away the brilliant build up play from both teams with the cutting in the final third lacking to make it a throughly entertaining clash.Ingwe however closed the half with two great chances as Victor Omune whipped in an inch perfect cross to Nigerian import, Ojo Olaniyi the only international on the pitch but his tame header provided easy pickings for Gad Mathews in goal in the 34th minute with the second seeing Brian Wanyama attempting a long curling effort two minutes later but Gad again had an easy save as both teams went into the break locked in a barren draw.Ingwe picked up from where they left from in the opening half with Brian Wanyama stinging the palms of Gad Mathews with a ferocious long shot with the custodian tipping the ball over the bar but AFC Leopards failed to do anything meaningful with the set piece.Crowds face trouble accessing Nyayo owing to gate allocation systemWith both teams struggling to break down each other’s defences, they resorted to long range attempts with Musa Oundo’s shot going agonizingly wide on 76 minutes.Ingwe had a glorious chance in the 80th minute when Jaffrey Owiti got the better of Geoffrey Ochieng on the right flank and delivered a pass across the face of goal that found Brian Wanyama with Gad rushing off his line to block the attempt as Gor survived a huge scare.SquadsAFC Leopards XI: Levis Opiyo, Peter Thion’go, Robert Mudenyu, Brian Wanyama (Saad Musa 73′), Kayci Odhiambo, Musa Oundo, Cliff Nyakeya, Lewis Bandi, Ojo Olaniyi, Victor Omune (Moses Lukhumwa 56′), Jaffrey Owiti.Subs: Maxwell Mulili, Tedian Esilaba, Owen Mboya, Washington Munene, Maxwell Otieno, Collins Shivachi, Boniface Mukhekhe.Gor Mahia XI: Gad Mathews, Paul Otieno, Geoffrey Ochieng, Joshua Onyango, Dennis Nga’ng’a, Sydney Wahanga (Alpha Onyango 53′), Boniface Omondi (Peter Lwasa 61′), Ernest Wendo, Benson Omala, George Odhiambo, Austin Odhiambo (John Macharia 61′).Subs: Caleb Otieno, Philemon Otieno, John Nyawir, Peter Oudu, John Ochieng, Lyson Munyanga.
