Photos of the Year

There were over 100 photos that we wishes we would use on this blog. We wish to credit all those who took the pictures for the great efforts. Most of the photos have been gleaned from the internet and newspapers and no claim is made by this blog against the photos.

There was the photo of Laurent Tumba blowing kisses at the crowd...

There was the one of the Leopards fan expressing thanks for a Leopards win...

There was a Leopards fan dancing in Mombasa right on the streets...

There was Mike Baraza on a stretcher in a moment every heart stopped...

And Mike Baraza wheeling away after scoring against Gor Mahia...

There was Fanuel Andwati with his shoes on sale...

There was the new kid on the block Ssemi Aina who caused a stir at the club...

There was the great defection all in good humour...

There was Lenny EmCee in all his glory...

There was the splash of colour in the visit to Ole Polos...

There was belief on the stands...

There was the Leopards and Gor 'shemeji' cordial relations...

There was the Dream Team known as Mututho FC and then Leopards FB FC and then CLAWS FC

There was the big error on TV calling Richard the Gor consultant...

There was Sinpare releasing the hit song on Ingwe...

There was a passionometer with flywhisks...

There was receiving of a trophy by Imbalambala...

And there was giving out of a trophy by Jonas Nahimana..

And the posing with the English Premier League trophy by an unidentified fan...

There was celebrating of goals by Leopards as they scored a basketful of goals in the season...

There was something to smile about by Angulu as they paid a visit to Female Fan of the Year Hanii...

There was the photo of Leopards players and Gor players sandwiched on the wall...

There was the fashion parade at the stadium...

There was Archie Achillah having the biggest smile this side of the Sahara...

And even a K'ogalo Diva promoting the Ingwe Fan magazine, related to this blog...

But in the end, these were the top twenty images of 2011

20. The Leopards were stuttering as the season came up to the half way stage. What was needed was a miracle for the Leopards to salvage the situation. What we got was some mid season signings during the transfer window. Bagaye was missing but the signings brought the Leopards back from the grave in an act that was the greatest resurrection since Lazarus.

19. The Leopards love to feast and there was the moment when the fans displayed how hungry the team was for success as they helped themselves to a hearty feast. This photo became an internet sensation after some sly Gor Mahia fans parodied it. 

 

18. Captain Muyoti is known for his very acrobatic jumps when he scores a goal and one of the eagerly awaited moments was seeing him score a goal this season. And it happened against Chemelil at the City Stadium when he powered home a thunderous corner kick and the next obvious thing was to look out for his celebration. Awesome!

17. The transfer season is usually the silly season! Officials talk to players and before they even leave the place of negotiations, you read about it on Twitter or on Facebook. Any player who is associated with Leopards becomes a sensation and so when the news came that Paul Were was in the Den, some thought that photographic evidence was necessary. Aaah.

16. The fans have always been accused of being hellbent on begging from officials and not wishing to play their part in helping the club to posterity. But this year, more than ever, the fans played a crucial part in the club affairs. One of which was to positively market the club. The Facebook Branch fans played against their Gor Mahia counterparts in the run up to the first Derby of the Year and won 3-1. This reaction from Fan of the Year Vincent Were was a sweet moment for leopards fans present.

15.  You are the leading scorer at Leopards and your team is counting on you to bang in more goals. Of course that means that fate is about to conspire to throw up some lemons. Mike Baraza was in tip top form and scoring at will when he was involved in a car crash. Within minutes, the Leopards fans of the Nakuru Branch were at the hospital with him checking up on him. That is true brotherhood at Leopards.

14. If there is an AFC Leopards match, Leopards fans will get there using whatever locomotion. Mah Mahntix got there using a bicycle. Others used boats, motor bikes, planes or trains or buses... Here is a pick of the best

13. When the Leopards were on fire, Sofapaka suffered a 3-1 hiding as ample revenge for the 3-1 defeat they had inflicted on the Leopards. One fan thought the best way to show how fiery the leopards were was to light up a newspaper and the other Leopards followed. This picture captured best what happens when fans let let their emotions take control.

12. When Leopards fans lose, they feel depressed. Phannie seemed lost in thoughts as the match progressed and this served up to show the great depression that befell the leopards as they plummeted from being third on the log to the relegation zone. Hopefully, such scenes shall not be seen again!

11. In the first leg clash between Leopards and Gor, the key battle came down to Nicholas Muyoti and Edwin Lavatsa. Muyoti is an experienced leopard whilst Lavatsa is a recent school leaver.  Both players were born in September but years apart. Lavatsa was born on 2nd September 1993 whilst Muyoti was born on 8th September 1978. Clearly one had greater pace than the other and it showed on that day.

10. Some you win, some you lose. After the 3-1 beating by Gor, Leopards avenged the defeat in a 3-0 reverse in the second leg. You only needed to look at Lijoodilson Arantez's fingers to know the score!

9. When you have a sponsor that stays close to the club and takes part in the activities of the club, you have a winner as a sponsor. Mumias Sugar has had a great first season as the sponsor of Leopards and even took time to attend the Kawangware Branch event that was attended by the Facebook Branch. Now this is the picture of a true partner of the club.

8. You are waiting to see the clash of the titans and then just before the kick off  you see the Leopards fans unfurl a banner. What a sight! But it moved down so fast that one had to be quick to take the shot. Kudos to the persons who took this shot but even more importantly, kudos to the one who thought about this great idea. Blue and White we remain truly forever!

9. When fans travel, sometimes what you see in the foreground may be too good to mask what is in the back ground. So you have to look at each picture very keenly. This one showed a break as the fans took off from the buses to take a 'health break'. There is a trail of Leopards all going to susu! But all that is lost on the viewer as the happy Jehan Adisah takes the thoughts away from that.

8. Sometimes much noise is made about the 'auld enemy' Gor Mahia and how the fans of Gor do not get along with Leopards fans. But the truth is that these two teams are not enemies - they are rivals. Nothing illustrated this better than this picture taken that shows Diamond Okusimba with his Leopards jersey and scarf with a Gor fan who has his jersey and flag. We are one people and though our rivalry dates back to the 60s, we can always be cordial to each other!

7. Leopards fans don't only show love to the Gor fans, they also show love for each other. A picture that captures the fans at the stadium simply happy to be following the Leopards and each other can warm any cold heart was one of Samuel Eyinda and his Plus One.

6. You are costing to victory against your traditional arch rivals. That surely is a moment to savour if you are a fan. But wait a minute - even when you are a player, you can savour the moment. Patrick Matasi was an iconic figure in the later stages of the season for the Leopards as he kept clean sheet after clean sheet! So it was a pleasant shock to all when he took a moment to smile and wave at the fans during the return leg of the league clash against Gor Mahia. An epic moment for an epic player.

5. It is back to the fans again and this moment was captured at the City Stadium. The Leopards fans treat each game as if it is a home game and even travel to the away matches and out-do the home team with their antics. On this particular day, it was if this was rehearsed, yet the beauty of it all was that it was spontaneous! The fans are in 'adulation for club' which could refer to the clubs initials AFC.

4. When three Leopards fans passed away after the clash against Karuturi Sports, it was the saddest moment for many Leopards fans. Fans came together and contributed funds for their interment and during the funerals, one of the photos taken showed a white coffin with blue colours in true Leopards spirit. This wasnt goodbye Aineah (and Ben and Duncan). This was 'see you later'. You will always shine upon us in the blue and white skies above.

3. There is always song and dance at the Leopards matches. If you leave the stadium without hearing and learning one chant, you haven't had the complete Leopards experience. During the year, there would be sudden bursts of song and sometimes the keen camera would capture one person in full flight. Here is one such moment.

2. The Poznan made an appearance at the Leopards games and the fans turned their backs on the team. Of course, that wasn't literal. It was done once and became a feature to celebrate the goals. What a sight to behold and the televisions cameras always captured it after the Leopards goals. It was perhaps a message to the team - we have got your backs no matter what! What a moment to be a Leopard!

1. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. We shall let this one speak for itself.

*send any submissions to be considered at magazine@ingwefans.com

Vision 2012

The following fixture list for AFC Leopards in 2012, is bound to change from time to time.

Kenya Premier League



11 Feb    v     Chemelil     H      Nyayo 16.00


19 Feb    v     Mat Utd       A      Nyayo 16.00


25 Feb    v     Oserian       H      Nyayo 16.00


04 Mar    v     Ulinzi          A      Afraha 15.00


10 Mar    v     Muhoroni     H      Nyayo 15.00


18 Mar    v     Gor             A      Nyayo 15.00


25 Mar    v     W. Stima     H      Mumias 16.00


31 Mar    v     KCB            A      Nyayo 16.00


06 Apr    v     Rangers       H      Mumias 15.00


15 Apr    v     Thika Utd    A      Thika 15.00


26 Apr    v     Tusker         H      Mombasa 19.00


29 Apr    v     Karuturi      A       Naivasha 15.00


05 May   v     City Stars    A       Nyayo 16.00


12 May   v     Sony Sugar  H       Nyayo 16.00


16 May   v     Sofapaka    A        Nyayo 19.00


24 Jun   v      Sofapaka   H        Nyayo 15.00


07 Jul    v     Sony Sugar A        Awendo 15.00


14 Jul    v      City Stars H         Nyayo 15.00


22 Jul    v      Karuturi   H         Mumias 15.00


12 Aug   v      Tusker     A          Kasarani 16.00


19 Aug   v      Thika Utd H         Nyayo 15.00


26 Aug   v      Rangers    A         Nyayo 15.00


16 Sep   v      KCB         A         Nyayo 15.00


22 Sep   v      W. Stima  A         Bukhungu 15.00


29 Sep   v      Gor Mahia H        Nyayo 15.00


21 Oct   v      Muhoroni   A       TBA 15.00


27 Oct   v      Ulinzi       H        Nyayo 15.00


03 Nov   v     Oserian     A        Oserian 15.00


11 Nov   v     Mat Utd    H        Mumias 15.00


17 Nov   v     Chemelil   A        Green 15.00


Top 8


22 Feb* v TBA * TBA TBA


11 Apr* v TBA * TBA TBA


26 May* v TBA * TBA TBA


Presidents Cup


30 Jun v TBA * TBA TBA


04 Aug v TBA * TBA TBA


01 Sep v TBA * TBA TBA


06 Oct v TBA * TBA TBA


20 Oct v TBA * TBA TBA


Awards


27 Nov KPL Awards


TBA Ingwe Awards

The Kets 2011

It’s the Kets 2011! The complete review of the past Leopards season

Ingwe Fan magazine editor Emmanuel Mketu delivers his end-of-the-year awards in respect of the AFC Leopards season that has just ended. It is a fresher look at ‘The Den’ as we call it and brings up all the good and bad memories of 2011 starting with …

Best Banner

Thankfully the plans to unveil the banner ‘JESUS SATISFIED 5,000 WITH 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH, JAN KOOPS SATISFIED MILLIONS WITH 11 LEOPARDS” never saw the light as it was deemed too insensitive to the Leopards fans religious sensibilities. These were fans who prayed before each match!

So coming after the fans of traditional arch rivals Gor Mahia had been attacked at Luanda, the “LUANDA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE” banner was as insensitive as it could get but easily one of the best banners of the season. For that day, the Leopards disciplined Gor on the pitch running away with a 3-0 victory.

Best Actor

Sometimes the in game entertainment can be dull with the loudspeakers simply blaring out some mournful tunes or some circumcision songs. So it was refreshing to see the players join the repertoire of entertainers the best of which was Patriqs Matasi who held the ball and smiled at the fans and waved. The Leopards Facebook Branch made a profile picture out of that one and even Ghost Mulee laughed at the gesture saying he had never seen anything like that in football! That’s is Leopards – giving you what you have never seen!

Best Celebration

Jan Koops. Yes, there may have been those hugs with Bernard Onyango on the touchline for many a goal but the most memorable one was when he started slamming the Nyayo Stadium turf repeatedly after the Leopards scored the third goal against Sofapaka in the return leg. For a coach who had delivered this team from grass to grace, this was a reminder that we wouldn’t hit the grass again for the rest of the season.

Best Promise

When handed the jersey number 50, Jimmy Bagaye allegedly said he would score 50 goals for the Leopards. He scored two in the Premier League and a few against Kenyatta Hospital. It is time to change Mike Baraza’s jersey number to 99.

Biggest Villain

The Sony goalkeeper was a character out of a horror movie when the leopards faced Sony at Nyayo. He went down with the frequency of a Koinange Street girl, and in the end took the match to almost 98 minutes proportions. The ball would be at the Leopards goal and he would go down once again to stop the match though he was a whole 100 yards away. But when the Leopards suffered a last minute goal, he sprang up and ran the length of the field to the leopards D and showed the fans a few cartwheels to the chagrin and utter disgust of the Leopards fans. What an idiot!

Best Opposing Fans

KCB. The whole ZERO of them kept quiet at the home match as the Leopards fans took over and cheered to their hearts fill.

Best Unofficial Merchandise

There was a host to choose from: the makarapas, the Ingwe Limited, the bandanas, the Ingwellets t-shirts, but the very best was the Ingwe Fan magazine. Providing detailed information about the club and especially the full results of the league matches between Leopards and Gor, I took my hats off to the editorial team for that dedication. There were also the benefactors of the project including Geoffrey Luyuku who made sure that the young at heart at least got to know the history of the team in detail.

Best Bet

You can bet with your friends about a Leopards victory but please do not say you will strip to your underwear if a certain player scores… because he will and you will!

Most Creative Headline

There were a number including the one that said ‘Catfights at AFC’ that appeared in the Daily Nation. Or the one by Trevor Mbati saying ‘Zico Is A Coward – Jan Koops!’. However, the one that stole it all was the one that said ‘Until Gor Score’ which appeared in the Standard on the day that Gor were baptized FC 98 after their match had eight added minutes, a red card for the opposing player and a goal.

Best Jersey Name

“LIKHANIAFU” was a hit as was “ESHIOMBO” but in the end we had the jersey that simply said “BA’MPYENGA” 

Best Innovation

The fans at Leopards are known to come up with something new all the time to make the experience at the stadium worth the while. There was the giant flag that was unfurled during the matches. The flag was carried all the way to Mombasa and became the most travelled flag! There was also the Poznan celebration by the fans of the goals. However, the best of them all was simply the chant ‘INGWEE! INGWEE! INGWEE!’. Simplicity is always sometimes the way to go.

Most Ironic Chant

Sometimes, Ironic isn’t as Alanis Morisette thought, but there was the chant that saw Leopards fans sing, ‘Zico Must Go!’ as the Leopards rolled over Gor.  Commentators weren’t sure if they meant his then position at Harambee Stars or whether it was a sympathetic sharing of feelings with Gor fans, but you had a feeling that a few Gor fans joined in on this one.

Best Video

Though the Haka of Injaka was hilarious, the best video hands down came about when Leopards were having a bad run of form. Hitler seemed to join in on the calls for the sack! Absolutely hilarious but at the same time, a few of its predictions came true 

Best Goal

There were a pick of goals that were scored by Leopards players this year that were absolute beauties! There was the goal that Collins Kisuya scored against Tusker when he connected from a great corner routine and smacked in the ball from a near impossible angle, there was also his curling freekick in the comeback against Nairobi City Stars. But the pick of the crop, was hands down a goal that Kisuya played part in but didn’t score it. 

AFC were leading one nil against Gor on 2^nd of October when Kisuya collected a ball that had been carelessly left hanging by a Gor defender, he beat the defender for pace and then released a cross that could only be made by a person of chameleon eyes. It was pin point and breathtaking to watch. As if on intuition, Mike Baraza was between two Gor players but he got the ball and smacked it in beating Ja-Goal all the way! What a goal. It was a goal that made the game safe and ensured Baraza had scored in two consecutive derbies and though he got a yellow card for celebrating before the Gor fans, no one, absolutely no one cared!

Best Match 

One match stood out as the best match this season and that was the game against Mathare United that ended in a two-all draw. The Leopards were down two nil at half time and the game seemed lost for all intents and purposes, if it was the Leopards of the first leg. But there were not just Leopards, these were the troops of Koops! The pulled one back and then scored a leveler. You felt that if there was any more time, they would even have won it. But the match had everything: it had a penalty, it had a goalie howler, it had an own goal and a well worked corner goal. There was despair, the elations and the expectation. For once, you always knew that even when two goals down, we could still win it.

Best Stat

This came courtesy of 89:59 who stated that Leopards was an average of position 8.03 in the league this season. To quote him: As for AFC, your team, their average position is 8.03 and final is 5. That means AFC were confined in mid-table positions for long and their rise to position 5 was aided by a rich vein of form towards the end of the season. One Gor fan retorted: Ufala utaacha!

Best Match Report

Sending a text to someone at the stadium and asking him scores can be frustrating. Sometimes you could get the occasional, ‘EKK’ as your reply. But the best was during the Leopards match against Congo United when brief posts appeared on the Facebook Page with words such as: Barry Red! Matasi Swallows! Mbakaya Off!

Best Quote

Sometimes a loss can be a devasatiting thing to happen to any coach and when the Supersport cameras were rolling and Nick Yakhama was being asked how he felt after the match against Thika United in Mumias, Yakhama was shattered nerves as he said: I am happy that we lost.

If that doesn’t get you fired as a coach, nothing else can. There was also the Pharis Kamau quote in HardBall where he stated: Revenge is no longer a bitch; it is a Leopard!

Best Karma

Whilst Gor suffered the 3-0 humiliation, Leopards fans were busy singing ‘Musiwe kama Gor Mahia, wanaofungwa bao, na wanarusha mawe!’ which basically implored people not to be like Gor fans who threw stones after a goal is scored against them. The same month, the Leopards fans tasted a taste of their medicine as their fans threw stones after Gor scored a goal against them in the FKL Cup. Karma is a bitch.

Best Coach

The best coach is of course, as always, the fans. Any time a player missed a chance the impatient fans would start asking for the substitution of the player and when the player who had just gotten in fluffed a chance, the fans would be beside themselves in laughing.

Best Player

3rd Mike Baraza.

2nd Bernard Mangoli.

1st Jonas Nahimana. Nahimana was phenomenal during the season where he started off by scoring on his debut against Sofapaka. It was a goal that gave Leopards hope though they ultimately lost that match. But his presence on the pitch was assured and he diverted many attacking threats from the opposing players. He also netted a penalty against Chemelil and scored a beautiful goal against Ulinzi. Yes, a defender was in the top three scorers for Leopards! It was fitting that the last kick of the match this season was by Jonas as he tried to curl a freekick against KCB. A player for half a season but a player for all seasons!