Post Match: Sony Sugar (A)

Leopards beat Sony Sugar 3-0 in this match played in Awendo. Oscar Kadenge scored twice with Charles Okwemba scoring the other goal.


Sunday Nation carried the story

In Awendo, AFC Leopards continued their fine run with an emphatic 3-0 win over Sony Sugar.

Leopards’ impressive turn around continued with an emphatic 3-0 victory at a rain-lashed stadium.


Oscar Kadenge latched on to a weighed cross from Bernard Mang’oli to score a brilliant opener.


Leopards continued to press on against a shaken home team and were rewarded when Francis Chinjili’s goal-bound shot from 20 metres out hit the upright and Charles Okwemba easily taped in the rebound in the 13th minute.


Second half was delayed for nearly an hour because of a waterlogged pitch but officials decided to let the game proceed after scrutiny and consultation amongst themselves.


Five minutes to the hour, Kadenge banged in the third for Ingwe after some brilliant piece of solo effort by Salim Ramadhan




Standard on Sunday in its Feverpitch report carried the story

AFC Leopards struck a morale boosting 3-0 win over Sony Sugar away at Awendo a week a head of their crunch clash with Gor Mahia whose embattled coach, Zedekiah Otieno, came under a hail of bottles and rocks after their 2-2 draw against KCB.



Oscar Kadenge scored twice as AFC Leopards beat Sony Sugar FC 3-0.


Sony came into the game seeking to continue with their good run which had seen them win three games on the trot, but it was the visitors who went ahead in the 5th, Kadenge tapping in Francis Chinjili pass at the near post past Gaddy Kawuondi in Sony’s goal.
Charles Okwemba made it 2-0 six minutes later, running into a through pass which caught the host’s defence flat-footed before rounding Kawuondi and rolling the ball into an empty net.


The second half had to be delayed by almost 30 minutes as heavy rains flooded the pitch making it impossible for the half to kick off.


When it eventually started, it was the visitors who would take the lead straight away. After a failed Sony attack, Leopards made a quick entry into the hosts’ half with Kadenge finishing neatly from a tight angle a minute after the break.


From then on it was all Sony as the visitors seemed content to soaking Sony pressure and catching them on counter attack.


The win brings to an end Sony’s good run, but coach Francis Baraza expressed confidence that the team will be able to forget about it and move ahead to the next games as the club continue with its quest to finish better than its 5th position last year.


Supersport.com has the story by Collins Okinyo. He reported:-

Oscar Kadenge scored a brace as AFC Leopards produced a virtuoso performance thrashing Sony Sugar 3-0 in Awendo on Saturday.


Charles Okwemba scored the third as Ingwe ended Sony Sugar’s three match winning streak in a match that was held up for almost an hour because of heavy downpour.


Kadenge broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when he found himself in acres of space, easily tapping in a Francis Chinjili cross.


A charged leopards continued pilling pressure and they made it 2-0 in the 13th minute when Collins Kisuya’ pass caught the Sony defence napping and Okwemba beat gary Kawondi with a classy finish.


The second half was however delayed for 45 minutes as heavy rains pounded the stadium making the playing surface wet but resilient Leopards players took matters into their own hand draining the water off the pitch perhaps due to the urgency and importance of the match.


Referee Nicodemus Marani gave the match the go on and in the 55th minute man of the match Kadenge got his second of the day after his long range shot was deflected by Sony defender Sylvester Wanyama into his own net giving Leopards an unassailable lead amid song and dance from the many travelling fans that thronged Awendo Green Stadium.


The win ensured Leopards leapfrogged Sony Sugar moving to seventh on the log with 33 points.


“I am indeed happy with today’s performance as this has underlined our intentions in the league. The players played according to instructions as they gave 100 percent despite playing away from home,” an elated AFC Leopards coach Jan Koops told SuperSport.com.


His counterpart Francis Baraza was devastated, “I congratulate Leopards .We simply switched off and could not recover after the early goals.”


Kenyanstar in a report by Timothy Olubulu gave this account:

At half time in Awendo, AFC Leopards were leading 2-0 before a heavy downpour started. The rains flooded the pitch and rendered the field un playable and as the 15 minute break before half time ended, Sony players refused to take to the pitch citing that they could not play in the field due to its state.


Sensing that the game could be pushed to the following day cancelling their 2-0 lead, AFC Leopards players took matters into their own hands and decided to drain the pitch themselves. After almost half an hour of concerted effort, they had succeeded to drain the pitch using banners of Fans’ branches and the referee then decided that the match could go on.


AFC Leopards had gotten the two goal margin within 15 minutes of the start of the match. Oscar Kadenge who has been enjoying good form of late opened the scores in the 10th minute tapping in a cross from Francis Chinjili on the right. Charles Okwemba got his first goal for Ingwe after signing from Rangers FC in mid season. The midfielder was a beneficiary of a spilled ball by the Sony goalie. Francis Chinjili again provided the assist picking the ball from the keeper’s hands and proved unselfish choosing to pass to Okwemba instead of shooting at goal.


Leopards relaxed with the two goals margin, dominating most part of the first half. Sony had only one clear chance with Patrick Matasi saving from Isaiah Omondi as the half drew to a close.


After the pitch was drained in the second half, Kadenge put matters beyond Sony with a clean Solo effort, taking a shot from outside the box and was deflected into the net by a Sony defender, completing his brace.


In the final 20 minutes of the match, Sony decided to up the pressure in search of the three goals at least to pull off a draw. Former Leopards man Hugo Nzoka was stubborn all through but was contained by the AFC defense. Enock Agwanda had two clear chances in the second half but none was converted. The clearest of them was when he picked a ball after keeper Matasi was left sprawling on the ground but failed to convert with the conditions of the pitch and instead slid.


Leopards now move to 7th on the table with 33 points from 10th and push Sony to eigth. They will next be playing Gor Mahia this weekend.

KPL website standings

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tusker	24	13	6	5	27	13	14	45
2	Ulinzi Stars	24	12	8	4	26	17	9	44
3	Chemelil Sugar	24	11	7	6	27	17	10	40
4	Sofapaka	23	11	6	6	31	15	16	39
5	Rangers	24	10	9	5	28	19	9	39
6	Gor Mahia	23	9	10	4	21	16	5	37
7	AFC Leopards	23	10	3	10	25	24	1	33
8	Sony Sugar	24	9	5	10	21	28	-7	32
9	Karuturi Sports	24	8	7	9	16	20	-4	31
10	Thika United	24	9	4	11	26	31	-5	31
11	Western Stima	24	8	7	9	15	21	-6	31
12	KCB	24	8	6	10	30	25	5	30
13	Mathare United	23	5	11	7	19	19	0	26
14	Congo United	23	5	5	13	17	35	-18	20
15	City Stars	24	4	7	13	16	27	-11	19
16	Bandari	23	5	3	15	17	35	-18	18

Pre Match: Sony Sugar (A)

Sony Sugar beat Leopards 2-1 in the reverse encounter. How will the Leopards fare in Awendo's Green Stadium?

Supersport.com has the story of Sony coach warning the Leopards. Collins Okinyo writes:-

Sony Sugar coach Francis Baraza has warned AFC Leopards to brace themselves for tough battle when they arrive in Awendo for their league clash on Saturday.

Sony Sugar are inform with three consecutive wins beating Gor Mahia, Thika United and Karuturi Sports at their backyard to climb to seventh with 32points.

“We definitely respect AFC Leopards as one of the big teams in the league but they should be worry because on the pitch it will be a different story.” 

“I know Leopards are in form currently but I am definitely happy that our fans back at home have been very instrumental in our rise and I know they will back us to the hilt as we fight for the three points.” 

“We want to finish the league among the five top teams and my only injury worries are George Amayo and Victor Otieno who are nursing ankle injuries,” he added. 

Sony however welcome striker Isaiah Omondi who last played against Western Stima, Sichai Kizito who has had a long layoff after suffering a knee injury in the first leg and Justine Monda. 

AFC Leopards are currently tenth on the log with 30 points and a win would see them leapfrog the Awendo based side. 

 

Kenyanstar has reported that Mike Baraza is doubtful for the match though he has resumed training.Timothy Olobulu writes:-

AFC Leopards striker Mike Barasa started training today after spending the last three days recovering from an accident he was involved in on Saturday. Barasa trained lightly with AFC leopards as they prepare to play Sony Sugar in a KPL tie on Saturday.

"I trained lightly today, just running around and stretching. I removed the neck brace yesterday and I underwent some physiotherapy and massage on the neck because of some muscles which were strained. Now I am OK and I thank God for that", Barasa told Kenyanstar.

At the same time, he says that he is not yet sure whether he will feature in the Sony match adding that he will examine the state of the response of his body after Thursday's training and make a decision.

"I can not say now whether I will play or not. I will train again tomorrow and I will examine myself. If the body will have recovered, then I will play but if I will still feel that I am not ready, I will not force myself into it. I will just relax and wait for the next match. For Harambee Stars, I will join camp on Monday, they gave me the whole week off", he adds.

Barasa is currently the second best goal scorer in the league with nine goals, with Moses Arita leading the log with 10 goals.

Nairobi Star have a story about Aluvisia filling the shoes of Baraza. The story by Francis Wadegu reports:-


Former Tusker forward Silas Aluvisia is ready to step in and fill the big gap left by the absence of club top scorer Mike Barasa who suffered a minor injury in a car accident last weekend. Aluvisia, who has had to contend with a place on the bench at Leopards for the better part of this season, is optimistic that the injury to the striker, who has notched nine goals in the league so far, could be an opportunity for him to shine.

“We wish Barasa a quick recovery because without a doubt, he is our main man in front. But for me, this is chance to prove that I can also merit a place in the first eleven and if given the chance by the coach, I will take it on both hands,” said the striker. Leopards who are hoping for a top five finish to the season after a poor first leg left them in the lower end of the league will travel to Awendo where they will face Sony Sugar hoping to climb above their opponents.

Carol Radull predicts a 2-2 draw.

Collins Okinyo predicts a 2-1 home win.


Sony Sugar have managed three consecutive wins in their backyard helping push them up to seventh on the log with 32 points.

Sony’s Hugo Nzoka has been the man to watch leading their resurgence but on the other hand Leopards have been in good form themselves with coach Jan Koops solidifying the team’s performances.

They might have to do without talisman Mike Baraza who is recuperating from a car accident suffered last week.

Our Prediction: 2-1

Turning Point

There is a television program that focuses on Christians turning their lives around and it aptly called Turning Point. Most times, you will find persons who have been through hell but then they get their Damascus movement, and then their lives become happier.

Being beaten by Gor Mahia was the best thing that happened to AFC Leopards this year.

For after that match, the Executive Committee of the Directors that run the club fired Nick Yakhama from the technical bench and elevated Jan Koops officially to head Coach and brought in Mickey Weche as an Assistant Coach.

It had been a torrid time for the Leopards. The loss to Gor Mahia was the tenth for the Leopards in seventeen matches. Gor was coasting; they had played a game less than the Leopards, and were now third on the league table. If they won their game in hand against Sony Sugar, they had a chance to go joint top.

Leopards on the other hand was at position 12 on the table flirting rather blatantly and dangerously with Ms. Relegation.

But though the match against Gor Mahia was a frustrating game for the Leopards, it was not necessarily fruitless. Having outplayed Gor, the Leopards left the Nyayo National Stadium with no points but with no more fear of tough games ahead of them either.

If they could play so well against a team that was on the throes of the summit of the league, why would they fear any other team in the league. That was etched into the Leopards players’ collective psyche.

Fast forward to five games later.

Leopards had still lost ten matches - meaning of course, that they had not lost a single match since their loss to Gor who on the other hand have not won in the last four matches.

The points gap that was eleven points between Ingwe and K’ogalo with K’ogalo having a game in hand and with a chance to extend the gap in points to fourteen points,  has now narrowed to six points with both teams having played an equal number of matches.

Gor has fallen from the third position at that time (which had later risen to second position) and are now settled at sixth with a chance to climb up to fifth with their game in hand. Leopards are tenth with a chance to climb up to seventh with their game in hand. As a Leopards fan put it on the Leopards Facebook Branch Wall, the two teams are now neighbours on the league table.

The confidence in Leopards is rising whilst that of Gor is plummeting. The latter have lost the last two games whilst Leopards are banging in the goals with Oscar Kadenge, Laurent Tumba, Collins Kisuya supplementing the goals scored by golden boot contender Mike Baraza. Francis Chinjili has also shown sparks of brilliance and surely there is a goal in him. Jimmy Bagaye has been sidelined with injury but he is the kind of player who can also improve the fortunes of Leopards. Veteran Charles Okwemba is also the leading in assists at the club and will be relied on to supply passes or even go for goal.

Leopards fans on the other hand cannot wait for 2^nd October 2011 when their team gets the chance to avenge the first leg defeat to Gor, a defeat that is treasured for having turned around the hell that leopards were going through into some sort of Seventh Heaven that has seen the club rise up to seventh in the league in the recent past, only slowed down by the lack of s stadium to play against Gor last weekend.

The 70^th El Clasico in the league couldn’t have come at a better time with Gor seeking redemption whilst Leopards are not going to thank Gor, but will be seeking revenge for that Turning Point moment.

Ingwe Fan and http://www.ingwefans.com/ will keep you posted on how this script turns out.

The King of Assists

Statistics. You can do without them and you can’t do without them. There are those who see statistics as an American thing that was brought to keep Math teachers happy and create jobs for some research assistants.

Yet statistics are helpful in the modern game as they help coaches and recruitment officers make decisions that are based on sound analysis of player’s performances. Football is about analysis and thought and nothing speaks analysis more than stats.

The modern game needs an analysis of fitness levels of players; and it is in this context that coaches can tell which player is the fastest because if you passed the ball to a player who isn’t fast, chances are that the opposing team will reclaim possession.

How far can Imbalambala throw the ball for instance, can determine whether certain positions are worth taking the Rory Delap throw in.

An article by Tim Adams appearing in the September 2011 edition of the magazine Esquire  and titled ‘Sport by Numbers’, tells the story of Opta.

When Aidan Cooney first read Moneyball in 2003 he sent it to every one of the 20 managers of (English) Premier League clubs. He did not get one response. Cooney is the chief executive of Opta, and in 2002 he set out to transform the way we understood our national game with a team of one. When they first went to newspapers with the suggestion that football analysis might be a little more scientifically rigorous, selling stats, they were told in no uncertain terms that there was no desire "to Americanise sport" in Britain. Opta now employs 100 staff across Europe analysing data on matches. It supplies most of the Premier League clubs and nearly all of the bookies in the land with statistics. The newspaper editors were wrong.

Close home, there are attempts by Facebook Page 89:59 to do what Opta does though the analysis of the specific games has been hampered perhaps with lack of staffing and the requisite technology that Opta has at its disposal.

Other stats that we come about are the usual Supersport television half time stats that come on to our screens can help a coach identify what areas need to be tweaked. During the match we had with Gor Mahia for instance, the half time stats showed that Gor Mahia was fouling more than the Leopards were (13 to 6). 

That is a stat that one can use to gain advantage in getting free kicks near the goal area as long as the ball is pushed forward.

Possession stats also help the coaching staff know where they could utilize the information. If the possession is in the opposing teams territory, then a substitution can be made that comes to take advantage of the stats.

One of the stats that Ingwe Fan is interested in, is the statistic of who made an assist.

According to Wikipedia, an assist in football is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. This could be in the form of the pass to the player who scores, or if the goal comes from a direct free kick or a penalty, then the assist is credited to the player who won the free kick or penalty, and if a goal is scored from a rebound, then the player who hit the ball that was ‘spat’ is the one who is credited with the assist.

From our research, we have noted that though Mike Baraza is the leading scorer of the twenty two goals scored by leopards this year, the players who have made the contributions to the goals by providing the assists are quite a different statistic. 

In the order of the goals scored by Leopards, the assists are listed in bold:-

1. Brian Masiolo, Joseph Okumu, Salim Kinje

2. (corner Selenga), Douglas Okumu, Joseph Okumu

3. Joseph Okumu, Salim Kinje, Brian Masiolo

4. Hugo Nzoka, Evans Wandera

5. Emmanuel Tostao, Itubu Imbem

6. Demonde Selenga, Hugo Nzoka

7. Martin Imbalambala, Hugo Nzoka

8. Shaban Ramadhan, Laurent Tumba

9. Laurent Tumba, Shaban Ramadhan, Emmanuel Tostao

10. (Corner Milton Milimu) Nicholas Muyoti

11. Salim Kinje, Silas Aluvisia

12. (fouled Francis Chinjili) Jonas Nahimana

13. Charles Okwemba, Collins Kisuya

14. (fouled Charles Okwemba) Brian Masiolo

15. Charles Okwemba, Mike Baraza

16. Brian Masiolo, Mike Baraza

17. Salim Kinje, Jimmy Bagaye, Mike Baraza

18. Emmanuel Tostao, Oscar Kadenge

19. Charles Okwemba, Mike Baraza

20. (free kick Charles Okwemba), Laurent Tumba

21. Salim Kinje, Mike Baraza, Oscar Kadenge

22. (fouled Bernard Mangoli), Collins Kisuya

In our analysis, we have taken note of some of the plays that contributed to the goals. Goal Number 16 for instance was scored against Gor Mahia and involved a cross from Masiolo which was controlled by Baraza before he fired in. One may be tempted to think Baraza assisted himself!  Goal Number 19 against Sofapaka was clearly an over hit pass by Okwemba which was then parried into Baraza’s path by the Sofapaka goalie; however, for purposes of checking the path of the ball, we have considered the Leopards players only.

From the above, it shows that the King of Assists is Charles Okwemba who is currently way ahead with 5 assists.

5 assists - Okwemba

2 assists - Tostao, Ramadhan, Kinje

1 assist - Selenga, Baraza, Chinjili, Masiolo, Nzoka, J. Okumu. D. Okumu, Milimu, Bagaye, Mangoli, Imbalambala

Okwemba: He happily gives out the ball to the scorers

For us Ingwe Fans, it is also a wake-up call to always remember that though one may not score a goal, he may be making a huge contribution on the pitch which some of our local journalists do not wish to keep tabs on, preferring instead to concentrate on the English Premier League. 

Some say that statistics are like mini skirts – they give us good ideas but hide the most important thing. The important thing is that football is a team sport which is emphasized with players who will go to celebrate with the player who provided the assist that leads to a goal. 

But each player has to play his part on the pitch so that when the most important statistic of a match is counted, then the cumulative happiness will be felt all around. The most important stat is of course the result.

Post Match: Bandari (A)

Leopards drew 0-0 against Bandari at the Mbaraki Sports Ground.

MichezoAfrika reported:-

AFC Leopards on Saturday afternoon were held to a barren draw by their hosts Bandari FC at the Mbaraki stadium in a lively KPL fixture. Despite enjoying possession and dominating play, AFC Leopards lacked the finishing touch wasting open chances in both halves with Bandari keeper Ivo Mapunda forced to make four spectacular saves that saved Bandari the blushes.


Mapunda was on point to deny Charles Okwemba early in the match when he parried off the midfielder’s hard volley in the 12th minute and another mid in the second half.


Bandari also had an open chance in the 18th minute but Matasi was quick to deny the hosts with an easy collection of a low grass cutting drive by Eric Opondo.


With less power upfront and wasted chances, Jan Koops brought in the bulky Francis Chinjili for Emmanuel Tostao as the Leopard piled pressure on the port’s men in the second half trying to break the deadlock.


Bandari Coach Shedu also made substitutions to his side trying to find a break through by introducing Ali Wiza for Shaban Kahindi and Zuberi Kombo for Andrew Murunga.


In the end, there was nothing much to show by both sides as they went home on shared spoils.


The draw at home is not good news for Bandari who needed maximum points to extend their gap from the relegation zone. After their match, Bandari moved up to 18 points same as City Stars but the two teams are now separated by goal difference while Congo United despite collecting a vital win away to Gor Mahia remain rooted at the bottom.

Savvy Kenya blogged about her experience

Kenyanstar on the other hand had this report by Timothy Olobulu

AFC Leopards were forced to play to a 0-0 draw with Bandariu in a Kenya Premier League match played on Saturday afternoon at the Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa. Bandarie who had designed a heavily defensive play did littyle to create meaningful chances with Leopards enjoying possesion especially in midfield but frequently stopped in thye attack.


Bandari’s Tanzanian keeper Ivo Mapunda pulled off a sensational match saving Bandari in more then three dangerous situatons in the game. Charles Okwemba tested the keeper early in the 10th minute when he hit a half volley from a poorly defended long throw from Martin Imbalambala. The Tanzanian flexed himself before acrobatically tipping over Okwemba’s volley.

Bandaris’ best chance of the first half came in the 22nd minute when Eric Opondo riffled a low shot from outside the area but AFC keeper Patrick Matasi handled well.

In the second half, Ingwe came back with more determination to win the match and pressed their hosts from the start. Coach Jan Koops introduced experienced Francis Chinjili for Emmanuel Tostao to spice up things up front. Ten minutes from the restart, Okwemba was again at the thick of attack with his shot ion the half turn taking a deflection and dancing away inches from the goal.


With Coach Rishadi Shedu sensing that his Bandari side needed more than just a point from the match, he also decided to jig up his attack line bringing in Ali Wiza for Shaban Kahindi and a few minutes later bringing in Hamisi Zuberi Kombo for Andrew Murunga.

This however did little to change the termpo of the match as they kept almost 8 men behind the ball always. Keeper Iuvo Mapunda was called into action againin the 72nd minute, tipping away a chip from Okwemba agan, after a short corner taken between him and Bernard Mang’oli.

Ten minutes before referee Amos Ichingwa blew the final whistle, Jonas Naimana saw hios freekick at the edge of the 18yard box clinically saved by a fully stretched Mapunda. Leopards tried to push the game harder in the dying minutes trying to capitalize on an injury Mapunda had picked on his left shoulderr but the scores still remained the same.

AFC Coach Jan Koops was satisfied with the match anbd congratulated Bandari saying they played a very defensive and physical match which was a little bit over his players.

“We played well, I am not complaining. Bandari played a very defensive and physical game and that was where they almost beat us”. He also adds that he was impressed with Laurent Tumba who played as a left back for the first time with the absence of Collins Kisuya.

“He played very well and I was impressed with him”, he said.

His opposite number Rishadi Shedu was dissapointed that they defended instead of attacking but nevertheless was thankful for the point especially now facing relegation.


“I was not happy because we played alot of defensive play and at this point we just need to attack because the position we are at is not good. But we are fighting to the end”, he said.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Tusker 22 13 5 4 25 10 15 44 2 Ulinzi Stars 22 10 8 4 22 15 7 38 3 Chemelil Sugar 22 10 7 5 25 16 9 37 4 Sofapaka 22 10 6 6 30 15 15 36 5 Gor Mahia 22 9 9 4 19 14 5 36 6 Rangers 22 9 8 5 26 18 8 35 7 AFC Leopards 22 9 3 10 22 24 -2 30 8 Karuturi Sports 22 8 6 8 15 17 -2 30 9 Western Stima 22 8 6 8 13 18 -5 30 10 KCB 22 8 5 9 28 22 6 29 11 Sony Sugar 22 8 5 9 20 25 -5 29 12 Thika United 22 8 4 10 24 29 -5 28 13 Mathare United 22 5 10 7 18 18 0 25 14 City Stars 22 4 6 12 14 24 -10 18 15 Bandari 22 5 3 14 17 34 -17 18 16 Congo United 22 4 5 13 16 35 -19 17

Pre Match: Bandari (A)

After a break in the league campaign that saw Leopards play in the FKL Cup against Homeboyz where the scoreline was 2-0 in favour of Ingwe, the league campaign resumes at the coast as Leopards take on Bandari.

It is all systems go and there is excitement at Leopards as they go hunting for the three points in Bandari.

The supporters trust CLAWS ran a competition involving its magazine Ingwe Fan and there were four lucky fans who were given air tickets to go and watch the match in Mombasa.

The Ingwe Travelling Fans Branch has also arranged for more fans to travel by bus to Mombasa. Fans paid their sums through Steve Mungo and Joram Mutiga tweo officials of the Travelling Fans Branch.

The team will fly out to ombasa on Saturday morning according to the official website of the club.

AFC Leopards will fly to Mombasa on the morning of Saturday 10th September 2011, collect three points from Bandari FC and fly back to Nairobi for dinner later in the evening. The program has been released by the club chairman Alex Magelo who exuded confidence that the 'on form' team will beat the coastal side on Saturday. A win will elevate Ingwe to position 8 from the current ten and increase preassure on the leading pack. International Mike Baraza, fresh from scoring a crucial goal for Harambee Stars aganist Guinea Bissau, is expected to hunt for goals together with youthful Emmanuel Tostao. Magelo called on all AFC fans to travel in big numbers to Mombasa to cheer the team to success. "We urge all the travelling fans and fans resideing in Mombasa to fill the Mbaraki stadium to cheer our boys to collect the three points," said Magelo. 

Supersport predicts a 2-1 victory for Leopards. The report by Collins Okinyo who predicted the correct scores in the last outing in match number 21 states:-

Fourteenth placed Bandari have a herculean task when they host a resurgent AFC Leopards currently tenth with 29 points. 

Leopards will be definitely banking on the prowess of their top marksman Mike Baraza who has nine goals to his name to provide the ammunition. 

On the other hand Bandari are in trouble despite having one of the most lethal strikers this season in Abdulawahab Musa. Nothing but a win will suffice for the dockers who are fighting or their lives in the top flight. 

Our Prediction: 1-2

It is all systems go.

Bandari have indicated that they are ready for the Leopards. In a report filed by Fred Maingi on Supersport, the coach has exuded confidence.

Bandari coach Rishadi Shedu has vowed to get a win in this weekend’s Kenya Premier League (KPL) clash against AFC Leopards at the Mbaraki Sports Grounds.

Shedu said he was delighted with the recovery of his team’s most experienced player Ali Breik who has been nursing a knee injury though he is still sweating over the fitness of skipper Raphael Okello and goal-poacher Abdulwahab Musa. 

“I’m waiting for our team doctor to confirm their status and whether I can draft them into my starting line-up against Leopards. They are crucial to the team and hopefully the doctor can give them a clean bill of health.” 

“Leopards are currently in good form having won three consecutive matches against Sofapaka, Western Stima and Nairobi City Stars and we don’t want to be the fourth. We have prepared fully for the clash and if my players utilize their chances, we shall get a result.” 

“I know we are the underdogs in this match but we will give them a run for their money, the way we did against Tusker at Nyayo Stadium last time out,” he added. 

The Mombasa dockers are 14th on the log with 17 points from 21 outings. They have won five matches, drew two and have so far lost 14. 

Carol Radull chooses this:-

My Prediction: Bandari 1 – 2 Barasa
So AFC Leopards are going Luo! I mean that because they are flying down to Mombasa this morning for their match against Bandari. The club’s officials say it’s actually cheaper to fly there and back, than taking a bus that wastes a day; and paying for several night’s accommodation. It is true, plus it’s a motivating factor for those players who have never left the ground, but my story is that they’re doing it because Gor did it! (smiley face) When Gor did it though they lost to Congo so I hope AFC’s luck is different. Before the two week break Jan Koop’s side was on fire! A win over City Stars; a win over Sofapaka – you name it, they did it! With Mike Barasa scoring in almost every match, and Bandari wallowing just about the relegation zone, all I can say to Congo’s sisters is: “Pole Bandari!”