Football fans of yore will tell you that Gor Mahia oksiem (is not pointed) even when the record Kenyan champions are struggling for form.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news If you further probe the fans, who firmly hold on to this belief, they will confidently list African giants like Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance, TP Mazembe, Petro Atletico, Zamalek, among others, as some of their peers. Notably, Gor Mahia remains the sole East African club to have won a continental title following their triumph in the Africa Cup, an equivalent of the modern-day CAF Confederation Cup, in 1987. In the past week, Mozzart Sport has been painting a picture of life in the streets of Cairo and covering Kenya’s U20 men’s football team. ##NAJAVA_MECA_890997##However, today, we shift focus to the sporty side of the expansive city that has been hosting Group B matches of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U20). Sorry, Al Ahly is not filmedAl Ahly is undoubtedly the most successful football club in Egypt so is Gor Mahia in Kenya. U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap taxis, unguarded ATMs and proper roads, the story of CairoWhile the Kenyan champions are not pointed at, the record CAF Champions League champions have a policy that frowns at the filming of their players and training sessions. Whether you make the request in good time or book an appointment, you will not be allowed to train your camera on Ahly players or even see them at the very least. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910047##A junior official, who talked to Mozzart Sport on condition of anonymity, revealed that filming is exclusively reserved for the Al Ahly media. Marketing rights were also given as a reason for the policy that is strictly enforced on the football team. These restrictions, however, do not apply in continental matches as CAF allows media engagements in the first 15 minutes of training sessions.You will also need to book an appointment in order to see the club’s top officials, which is also the case with the rest of the revered clubs in the country. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910014##Apart from the football team, Ahly has 14 more teams from other sporting disciplines participating in domestic and international competitions. The massive sporting entity has volleyball, squash, basketball, tennis, swimming, water polo, paddle, ballet, handball, among other teams. Kenyan clubs not popular hereWith this weekend’s Mashemeji Derby in mind, I went to the streets and asked locals if they had an idea that Kenya’s biggest clubs would be fighting for bragging rights.U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap fuel in plenty as sanity reigns in Egyptian roadsConsidered one of the fiercest derbies in Africa, at least in the eyes of Kenyans, the Mashemeji Derby brings Kenya’s eternal rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards together in a fixture that packs the stadium to the rafters. To my shock, none of the more than 20 people I asked admitted to knowing either Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards, despite the latter playing at Cairo Stadium as recently as September last year. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910042##Worse still, the other 16 Kenyan top-tier clubs, the ones in the lower leagues and the women’s competitions are not known here. Victor Wanyama a big name in Cairo While Kenyan clubs are alien to the Egyptian population, former Harambee Stars skipper Victor Wanyama is well known thanks to the seven years he featured in the English Premier League. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910042##Wanyama played for Southampton between July 2013 to June 2016 before crossing to Tottenham Hotspur, where he lasted until March 2020.Before moving to England, Wanyama had already made a name for himself with Scottish giants Celtic, with his Champions League goal against Barcelona earning him significant praise and fame. U20 AFCON Diary: Bread goes for Ksh5 with Kenyan athletes more famous in EgyptEvery other local with whom I had a conversation or used his online taxi, has known the defensive midfielder and the famous rocket goal he scored against Liverpool on 4 February 2018.a very nice goal from Victor Wanyama against Liverpool pic.twitter.com/sKj2ksuX2W— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 6, 2022 Those having challenges with English will always draw their cellphones and show images of the former Ingwe man, especially those he was captured with Mohamed Salah. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910476##Those who believed that I had access to Wanyama were bold enough to ask me to persuade him to consider Cairo as his next holiday destination. It might not see the light of day, but I also requested them to ask Salah and the other top Egyptian sportsmen to pick Kenya for their holidays. Training at night Most of the Kenyan clubs, across all disciplines, hold training in the morning, with others doing double sessions. This is not the case here in Egypt, as training is mostly done at night and in the evening, depending on the weather conditions. I checked with local clubs and the Kenyan duo of John Avire and Janet Moraa, who confirmed that training is conducted at night. Ticket prices and the four strict rules enforced in stadia at U20 AFCON matchesThe weather conditions are currently favourable meaning which means that clubs have been training in the evening. Clubs will switch to night sessions from next month when summer is expected to fully kick in.
