THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF THE "MASHEMEJI" DERBY

Story written by Patrick Kamanga

THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF THE “MASHEMEJI” DERBY

 

Kenya’s two most popular football clubs AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia played out to a 2-2 draw last Sunday. The score line underscored the two team’s quality or lack of it and was a fair result with both teams scoring either from poor goalkeeping or defensive lapses on either half.

Now christened the “Mashemeji” derby, the modern version of this derby is a stark contrast to the epic battles that were fought out during Kenyan football’s golden era in 1980’s, played locally or even in neighbouring countries.

Pitch action during the derby last Sunday

Even the derby’s modern title of “mashemeji” which translated means “the in-laws” belies the rivalry that existed between the two sides then. During that era “nemesis” and “perennial archrivals” were the common descriptions used to depict the two teams’ relationship. The modern mashemeji derby is therefore a sedate affair with skirmishes like the one witnessed at halftime now a rarity. Back then the center section of the “Russia stand” at Nyayo National Stadium would accommodate an entire troop of General Service Unit, garbed in full green jungle fatigue and anti-riot gear, who acted as a security buffer between fans of the two teams just to maintain the peace.

In the modern era the two teams’ fans are regularly seen making merry, dancing and generally having a good time together. As most Nairobians will attest, the modern camaraderie between fans of these two rival teams is a welcome respite which has for the most saved city residents from the scourge of riots and running battles between the rival fans with business owners and motorists bearing the brunt as was the norm in the 1980’s.

However the quality of the game last Sunday was nowhere near what was witnessed in the 80’s. The level of the game and array of talent that graced the derby back then was amazing to say the least.

The first Mashemeji derby that I attended was the final of the East and Central Africa Club Championship in January 1984 which was played at the then newly opened Nyayo National Stadium, with Mr. Muathe, my best friend in primary school Dona’s father treating the entire family and I to the game.

En route to the final AFC Leopards’s topped a group which was based in Mombasa while Gor Mahia was based in Nairobi and surmounted a group that included Al Hilal of Sudan, Rio Tinto from Zimbambwe and Somalia league champions Horseed.

Gor Mahia was under the tutelage of Englishman and former Arsenal utility player, the late Len Julians, who had a talented midfield marshaled by the late Abass Khamis Magongo which dazzled fans with their one touch passing game laced with nicks, dinks and tricks. In their run to the final at a group game, playing a style akin to Barcelona’s “tiki taka”, Gor Mahia’s passing game and humiliating defeat of Horseed so infuriated the Somali club that their players led by star player Mukhtar Awadh lost their heads and started a brawl which took the quick response and intervention of the riot police to separate both teams’ players and officials as the game disintegrated into a free for all and had to be abandoned with minutes remaining.

In the semi finals, Kogalo went on to overcome Berec Power Pack from Malawi while AFC Leopards defeated Uganda’s Kampala City Council to set up an all Kenyan final. Kogalo were the Kenyan League champions while Ingwe came in as the defending regional club champions.

Mike Amwayi scored an early goal to the chagrin of Kogalo fans while Sammy Onyango Jogoo equalized to attain parity for a half time 1-1 draw. Playing under the late Coach Robert Kiberu, Ingwe’s English style “route one” football was in total contrast to Gor’s style and was designed with one purpose, to serve the speedy wingers Francis Kadenge and Mike Amwayi with power-house striker J.J Masiga as the target man and the destructive force upfront. Masiga was to score a late goal and complete a famous win for AFC Leopards giving Ingwe a third consecutive regional title.

With that win, Ingwe firmly established the Nyayo Stadium as their domain and went on to retain an unbeaten run against Kogalo at that arena which stretched a few years.

A star studded Leopards outfit in the mid 80's, Captained by Wilberforce Mulamba at right

With the two teams dominating the East African region, both teams were to meet yet again in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum the following year at the finals of the regional championship for the third consecutive year. Leopards came in as the treble regional Champions while Gor were treble Kenya League Champions. The match was eagerly followed by the entire nation via KBC radio service, with the legendary football commentator Leonard Mambo Mbotela passionately relaying events.

Gor Mahia were the underdogs because eight of their players had been suspended from any football activities by the continental authorities CAF after being found culpable for the fracas in Cairo against the Egyptian club side Zamalek in a continental fixture the previous year. They defied all odds and overcame AFC Leopards via two goals from a hitherto unknown new recruit by the name of William Obwaka.

Another memorable derby was one played in 1986 at the City Stadium. Nyayo Stadium had proven a barren hunting ground after countless loses to their bitter rivals, Gor Mahia then opted to switch tact and thus had their second leg home game played at the familiar climes of “Tok Komwanda” or the City Stadium.

Kogalo fans were left shell shocked after Ingwe cancelled out a two goal halftime lead to complete a famous comeback and win 3-2 with several of their players later getting suspended on suspicion of throwing the game away.

With Danish tactician Jack Johnson taking over the reins at Gor Mahia in 1987, the Dane introduced the then unfamiliar and more defensive 4-4-2 system which smoothed out and completed the work started by his predecessor Len Julians. Julians had embarked on a massive rebuilding program when he took over in 1983 stamping his mark on the Kenyan game with a signature flamboyant Latin style of play. The 4-4-2 system had been the rave in Europe after Italy’s win at the 1982 World cup and no other club side had yet adapted the system on the African continent therefore Jack Johnson’s application was a tactical masterstroke.

This was truly Kogalo’s year as they not only dominated Ingwe at the Mashemeji derby winning thrice (twice in the league plus the Moi Golden cup final) but went on to storm the African continent winning Kenya’s first and only continental title to date!

The last great derby between the two Kenyan giants during that glorious era was played in October 20^th 1989 in a Kenyatta day cup cum league match at Nyayo Stadium. In a tight and tense affair with the game headed for a barren draw burly striker Peter Dawo unleashed a thunderous 30 yard artillery motor round that found the roof of the net past a rooted Omar Shaban in AFC Leopard’s goal to send Gor Mahia fans into rapturous cheers. John “Shoto” Lukoye was to respond in kind moments later sending a grass cutter from range past a stranded David “Kamoga” Ochieng that silenced Kogalo fans sending Ingwe fans delirious. With the league match tied at 1-1, the Kenyatta day cup was decided on post match penalties where Gor Mahia won 5-4.

Gor Mahia's striker and Africa's top scorer in 1987 Peter Dawo pictured in 1990 when he signed for Egyptian Club side Arab Contractors

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The derby’s quality and importance waned from the late 1980’s on as Kenya Breweries; predecessor to Tusker Football Club ascended and became the new force in Kenyan football. The derby’s fortunes kept plummeting in the 1990’s as the country’s soccer standards went under until the renaissance experienced in recent years.