Gor Mahia legend Peter Dawo explains why AFC Leopards will win Mashemeji Derby

Gor Mahia legend Peter Dawo has astonishingly tipped AFC Leopards to edge their eternal rivals in Sunday’s 99th Mashemeji Derby, insisting Ingwe have gathered enough momentum to tilt the balance in what promises to be a defining moment in the title race.

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Leopards will face Gor at Nyayo National Stadium in a fixture that carries far more than bragging rights, with the outcome expected to shape the destiny of the FKF Premier League crown.

The two giants of Kenyan football head into the clash separated by just three points, with K’Ogalo sitting top on 58, while Ingwe lurk closely behind, ready to pounce with only a handful of matches left in the campaign.

For Dawo, who found the net three times in the derby between 1987 and 1991, the current momentum tells a story that many may be overlooking, and one that points towards a possible shift in power.

“Gor Mahia must concentrate. At one point, they had a ten-point lead, but now look at how that gap has been reduced. That alone tells you something is not right,” he told Mozzart Sport.

“I do not want to say too much, but this derby can go to AFC Leopards.”

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His assessment is not driven by sentiment, but by what he sees unfolding on the pitch, where Gor Mahia’s recent inconsistency has slowly opened the door for their rivals to creep back into contention.

What once looked like a comfortable march to the title has turned into a tense chase, with every dropped point adding fuel to Ingwe’s belief.

Despite his deep ties to the Green Army, Dawo does not shy away from backing Leopards, warning that Ingwe’s resurgence could stretch beyond the derby and into the title race itself.

“It can go to AFC Leopards. I am a former Gor Mahia player and still a fan, but if you look at things now, AFC can even win the league. Let us not underrate them,” he said.

“Gor were ten points ahead, now the gap is three. Why? It is because they have not shown that full desire to finish the job.”

The former Arab Contractors forward also took a swipe at the current generation of players, saying that the edge and urgency that once defined the derby have faded over time, turning what used to be a fierce battle into something closer to routine.

“To me, as a Gor Mahia fan, it is better to lose to Police, even by ten, but not to AFC Leopards. That is how serious the derby should be,” he noted.

“But players of this era do not have that mentality. They treat it like a normal game, yet a derby should feel different.”

Still, he acknowledges that this season has brought back a sense of life into the rivalry, with both sides pushing each other at the top and restoring the fixture’s lost spark.

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“The previous seasons were not exciting, but this time the league has been interesting because AFC and Gor are both competitive again. If it was Police and Gor, maybe it would not have that same feeling, but now it is alive, like Manchester United against Arsenal.”

With only five matches left before the curtain falls on the season, the stakes could hardly be higher. The winner of Sunday’s clash will not just walk away with pride, but with a crucial advantage in the title run-in.

Leopards are chasing their first league crown since 1998, while Gor are eyeing a 22nd title, a number that would further cement their dominance in Kenyan football history.