AFC Leopards Forward Fires Mashemeji Derby Warning to Gor Mahia

AFC Leopards forward James Kinyanjui feels their recent poor run should be motivation enough to silence Gor Mahia during Sunday’s highly-billed clash.

Leopards visit bitter rivals Gor Mahia in the 98th Mashemeji Derby at Nyayo Stadium on the back of a three-game winless run following a defeat and back-to-back draws.

That, added to their poor recent against Gor Mahia, that includes just one win in five over K’Ogalo, who have two victories over that period, is giving Kinyanjui enough motivation ahead of his first-ever Mashemeji Derby.

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

“It will be a big step in my career, it has never happened in my entire footballing my career, it will be my first time (to play in the derby), and I feel proud and waiting for the moment,” said the former Mathare United star as quoted by Flashscore.

“Obviously considering our Kenyan league, we only have Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards with big fan base, and most of the teams I have played for don’t have huge fanbase, 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 also at stake, Kinyanjui has issued a rallying call to his team-mates to ensure they do not disappoint their fans in the high stakes clash.

“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 for us to come back to winning ways than the derby,” he added.

“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 for the derby, even those, who have not been playing since the season started, they are ready, and looking ahead to the derby.

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