AFC Leopards Coach Shrugs Off Mashemeji Derby Pressure - ‘Never Had It’

AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani is feeling zero pressure ahead of the Mashemeji Derby despite the high stakes.

Leopards visit bitter rivals Gor Mahia in the 98th Mashemeji Derby set to be staged at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday and they head into the match seventh on the FKF Premier League table with 14 points from nine matches, five behind K’Ogalo, who are at the summit.

Recent history also does not favour Ingwe, who have won just one of the last five Mashemeji Derby meetings, with Gor Mahia claiming two victories while two have ended in draws, being last season’s home and away matches.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

However, Ambani, whose team has not won their last three matches, is not feeling any weight of expectations ahead of the biggest game in Kenya’s football calendar.

“I have never had pressure heading into the derby, I don’t want to lie, the moment you don’t take the derby like any other game without any pressure behind it, and then you will have done yourself bad, and spoiled your game plan going into it,” Ambani said on Thursday.

“If as coach I go into the derby with pressure, what happens to my players? It means they will have lost the game even before they play it. Show the players there is no pressure heading into the derby, and ask them to relax, but they should know the only pressure they have is to give fans a win.

“If the players come wanting to prove something to the fans, then definitely they will get it wrong, but the moment the player comes into the field wanting to play to his best, that is the most important thing, giving all the best you have and the rest of the things will follow.”

On how his players should approach the game, Ambani believes they need no reminding about the scale of the match as he expects them to rise to the occasion given bragging rights and pride is also on the line, besides the three points.

“We have given players enough of self-motivation, it is all about the players, even if you motivate them and they are not ready then it will be a waste of time,” he added. “Mostly, people say motivation is all about incentives, but we have a lot to motivate our players from this game.”

“This is a big game, and they [players] can gain a lot from it, in big games we have people coming to watch, we have scouts, and that is the time to sell yourself out there to the world, and if you can’t be motivated enough because of such things then you are in a wrong business.”

Last season, Leopards and Gor Mahia played out a goalless draw in March before a 1-1 stalemate in June.