Former AFC Leopards captain Washington Munene has thrown his full support behind his old club, urging them to utilize their recent Mashemeji Derby triumph over rivals Gor Mahia as a motivation for consistent success in the league.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Donholm Seniors Gala Night on Saturday evening, Munene expressed optimism about the direction the club is taking.
“Winning the Mashemeji Derby has shown that we are now moving in a very different direction, especially with the new club management under chairman Boniface Ambani,” he said.
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Mashemeji Derby psychological boost
The former defender believes that the psychological boost from defeating their bitter rivals is a major motivator that can translate into results week after week.
“The win alone is enough motivation going into the other games because it shows that AFC Leopards has a very good chance to push right up to the end. If you look at the table, we are not far off, and the playing unit is doing their best.
The results have started showing off, so congratulations to coach Ambani. If we maintain this and keep it consistent, then it will be very easy to move on,” he noted.
Munene, who was part of the Ingwe squad that famously snapped a seven-year winless streak against Gor Mahia in 2023 under former coach Patrick Aussems, noted that the recent positive derby results have injected much-needed competitiveness back into Kenya’s biggest fixture.
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“The club stayed like seven years without victory in the derby before we won under Patrick Aussems. After that, there have been a couple of draws and losses, but now the club has started showing that the derby is once again gaining momentum,” the versatile defender said.
According to the former skipper the days of automatically expecting an AFC Leopards defeat in the derby are over.
“Right now you can’t just go to the stadium expecting AFC Leopards to lose, that page is closed right now,” he said.
The former Wazito FC defender joined Ingwe in 2019 and went on to captain the side before retiring after a five-year stay.
He has since transitioned into the world of business, running his sportswear and apparel shop Energy Sports Hub located in Nairobi CBD.
