Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala will be rooting for twelve-time league champions, AFC Leopards in the 95th edition of the Mashemeji Derby set for Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium.Traditional rivals Gor Mahia and Leopards will revive their ageless football rivalry, with both giants hoping to bag maximum points and bragging rights after the final whistle.##NAJAVA_MECA_8039106##The match was supposed to have been held at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos but was moved to Nyayo after concerns were raised on the suitability of the initial venue to host the high-octane encounter.The duel will be staged at Nyayo, less than 24 hours after the fifth edition of the Kip Keino Classic, where Omanyala is expected to light up the event by racing in the 100m dash.Ahead of the contest, Omanyala has unreservedly expressed his support for Ingwe, whom he tipped to claw their bitter rivals for the second time in eight years.The Commonwealth Games champion is not the sole sportsman who has backed the Leopards to win the game.Mashemeji Derby ticketing detailsFormer Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama and Romania-based attacking midfielder Eric Johana Omondi are some of the renowned sportsmen who support the Leopards.”I am a Leopards fan. I hope we will win on Sunday,” he told Mozzart Sport.The fixture has a rich history of attracting a decent number of fans from all walks of life, given the following the two clubs command and the thrill associated with the match.In May last year, President William Ruto graced the match at Nyayo Stadium, where the Leopards ended their seven-year-long derby victory drought, and later gave both teams a million shillings.His predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, attended the derby twice during his reign. The former President made his first appearance at the Derby while in office in March 2020 and in May 2022.Asked whether he would spare time and back his favourite team from the stands, Omanyala remained optimistic about fulfilling his wish of catching the action live at the venue.”I have never watched the derby from the stands before. There is a possibility of me showing up on Sunday, even if it means watching the second half,” added Omanyala.Tickets for the encounter retail at a thousand shillings for the VIP section, with the regular ones going for three hundred shillings.Gor Mahia coach’s clarion call to Kenyan football fans ahead of Mashemeji Derby
