Can AFC Leopards end almost 3-decade title drought in 25/26 campaign?

• AFC Leopards will kick off their 2025/26 Football Kenya Federation Premier League campaign at home against Sofapaka on Saturday, September 20th at Nyayo National stadium.
• The highly anticipated Mashemeji Derby between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is scheduled for Week 11 of the league calendar.
• This marks AFC Leopards’ 17th consecutive season in the top flight since their return in 2008, following their first-ever relegation in 2006.

AFC Leopards will kick off their 2025/26 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League campaign at home, hosting Sofapaka on Saturday, September 20 at Nyayo National stadium- the official season opener day.

Having concluded last season in sixth position, a slight dip from fifth the previous year, Ingwe will be eager to launch their new campaign with a strong performance against Sofapaka, a side that denied them maximum points last season in both encounters, which ended in draws.

In their second fixture, Fred Ambani’s side will be on the road to face FKF Cup champions and newly-promoted Nairobi United on September 28.

However, this clash may be postponed if it coincides with Nairobi United’s CAF Confederation Cup commitments, following their FKF Cup triumph.

Their third match of the season is set for the first weekend of October (Oct 3) when they face Posta Rangers, a side that proved to be a major stumbling block last season, beating Leopards home and away and denying them six critical points.

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Ingwe will be keen to redeem themselves and reassert their dominance in this clash.

Next, AFC Leopards will welcome Bandari FC on October 15 for their fourth match of the campaign.

After collecting four points from Bandari last season, Ingwe will aim to secure all three this time around.

Matchweek Five sees the Leopards host KCB on October 19 another team from whom they took four points last season (a win and a draw).

How did AFC Leopards perform in their first five matches last season?

Ingwe kicked off the season on a very good form last season, losing just one match in their first five matches: a 1-0 to Posta Rangers, while they kicked off the season campaign with a 4-0 win over Mathare United, won 1-0 against Bidco United, beat Nairobi City Stars 2-1, and drew 1-1 with Kariobangi Sharks.

When is the first leg of the Mashemeji Derby?

The highly anticipated Mashemeji Derby between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards is scheduled for Week 11 of the league calendar.

This first leg will see Ingwe visit their arch-rivals, K’Ogalo, on November 30th, 2025.

Last season’s derby was fiercely contested and plagued by several postponements.

The spoils were shared across both legs: a 0-0 draw at Nyayo Stadium and a 1-1 draw at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay.

Fred Ambani will be looking to continue his historic streak; as a player, he never lost to Gor Mahia, and he has now presided two matches as coach without succumbing to defeat in one of East Africa’s most fixture.

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AFC Leopards’ 17th consecutive top-flight season: eyeing end to 27-year title drought

Ingwe were relegated for the first time in their history in 2006 before earning promotion back to the top flight in 2008.

In the 17 years since, they have yet to recapture the league title, which they last won in 1998- 27 years ago.

Therefore, this season under a new management team led by elected Chairperson Boniface Ambani, the club will be aiming to mount a serious challenge for their 13^th title.

Furthermore, with Fred Ambani a member of the 1998 title-winning squad, at the helm, there is hope of returning the club to its former glory.

The club has yet to officially confirm Ambani as the permanent manager following the departure of Tomas Trucha in December 2024, but his interim tenure has significantly elevated the team’s performance, a trend expected to continue next season.

In contrast to their title contenders and rivals, who have made several high-profile signings, Ingwe are yet to announce any major acquisitions, with just a few weeks remaining until the season kick-off.

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 AFC Leopards 2025/26 FKF Premier League Fixtures (Until December 2025)