AFC Leopards Receive Massive Backing from Former Harambee Stars Coach to Challenge Gor Mahia for KPL Title

Former Harambee Stars head coach Twahir Muhiddin has tipped AFC Leopards to mount a serious challenge against arch-rivals Gor Mahia in what he anticipates will be a tightly contested 2026/27 SportPesa League season.

The veteran tactician, who managed AFC Leopards in the late 1990s, highlighted the historical dominance of community-based clubs and predicted a thrilling title race that could go down to the wire.

“It is the trademark of Kenyan football to see community clubs like Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards competing at the very top level," Muhiddin told Radio Citizen.

"Looking at the preparation matches we have seen so far and considering the quality of our league, the season is going to be highly competitive.”

He added, “It will be difficult to predict who will win. I think the title race will go all the way to the final match of the season.”

AFC Leopards are fueled by a strong desire to end their 28-year league title drought, having last won the top-flight crown in 1998.

Their hopes were dashed late in the 2025/26 season when they finished second with 64 points, five behind champions Gor Mahia.

The decisive moment in their previous campaign came in the penultimate round, where a 2-1 away loss to APS Bomet mathematically secured the title for Gor Mahia before the final day.

Under the guidance of Fred Ambani, Ingwe have shown promising form in the off-season, remaining unbeaten in their friendly matches.

Their preparations included victories over Kakamega Homeboyz (2-0), Nairobi United (2-1), and Ugandan side KCCA FC (1-0), alongside draws with 3K FC (0-0) and Murang’a Seal (1-1).

While Muhiddin praised their pre-season performance as a confidence booster, he cautioned the team against overconfidence.

“Leopards should not relax. They must keep their heads high and their feet on the ground because the challenge has already arrived,” he urged.

“These are friendly matches, and there are many things to try during pre-season. But they have done well, and that will boost their confidence as they pursue their first title in 28 years.”

In contrast, defending champions Gor Mahia are facing early-season pressure. Despite a strong run to the final of the CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda, where they lost 2-1 to Rayon Sports, K’Ogalo stumbled domestically with a 3-1 defeat to Tusker FC in the FKF Super Cup.

Muhiddin attributed Gor Mahia's Super Cup loss to fatigue and injuries. “Gor Mahia were not ready when they lost 3-1 to Tusker," he explained.

"They had just completed a high-intensity CECAFA tournament in Rwanda, where almost seven of their players suffered injuries.”

AFC Leopards will begin their 2026/27 league campaign against Bandari FC, while Gor Mahia will start their title defence against Murang’a Seal FC.