AFC Leopards Star James Kinyanjui Fired Up to Silence Gor Mahia in Mashemeji Derby

AFC Leopards forward James Kinyanjui believes their rough patch should be all the fuel they need to silence rivals Gor Mahia when the two giants square off in the 98th Mashemeji Derby on Sunday at Nyayo Stadium.

Ingwe walk into the clash on the back of a three-match stretch without victory, a run that includes one defeat and two straight draws. Added to that is a dusty record against Gor Mahia, where Leopards have managed just one win in their last five meetings while K’Ogalo boast two victories. But for Kinyanjui, that only lights a hotter fire as he prepares for his first ever taste of the derby.

Kinyanjui spoke with pride about the moment, noting how significant the fixture is in his journey.

“It will be a big step in my career. It has never happened in my entire footballing career. It will be my first time to play in the derby, and I feel proud and ready for the moment,” he said, speaking to Flashscore.

He added that the scale of the occasion, especially the passionate fan bases involved, pushes him forward.

“Obviously considering our Kenyan league, we only have Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards with big fan base. Most of the teams I have played for don’t have huge fan base, so this will give me motivation to help AFC Leopards to move up the league table. We want to move up the table.”

With bragging rights hanging in the balance, Kinyanjui has also issued a call to his fellow Ingwe players to step up and give their supporters a performance worth cheering.

“We will approach the game like a normal league match. We want to make our fans proud, and we are psyched up for the derby. The game itself is a motivation, it doesn’t need motivation to play in it, and there is no game better for us to come back to winning ways than the derby,” he said.

Kinyanjui insisted that the derby atmosphere is enough to lift the entire squad, including players who have barely featured this season.

“Our motivation is only the derby. In a derby there is no any other option, the derby is the motivation. So everybody is psyched up and ready, even those who have not been playing since the season started, they are ready and looking ahead to the derby.”

The Leopards attacker was clear that their recent tough run must be corrected on Sunday, and there is no better gift for their supporters than a derby victory.

“We have gone three matches without a win, it is heavy in our hearts. We must return to winning ways, and we believe our fans deserve this derby win more than anything else. Our present will be to give them the derby win.”