The 2026 FKF Cup Round of 64 draw has served up a mouth-watering fixture that pits Siaya-based Dero FC against record Sportpesa League Champions Gor Mahia.
For Dero FC Club Chairman and Project lead,the pairing is not just a matter of chance but a fulfillment of a pre-draw prophecy.
Oswere revealed that he had a lighthearted exchange with Gor Mahia’s administrative manager, Ronald Ngala, predicting that the two sides would cross paths.
ALSO READ: Gor Mahia midfielder apologizes after missing penalty in FKF Cup final
Dero FC chairman Kevin Oswere ready to upset Gor Mahia in FKF Cup clash
“The draw is exciting, we’ve always build our name by playing against big teams.
I told Gor Mahia administrative manager Ronald Ngala that we are going to be paired and this time you are going to lose and when I saw Dero’s name not being mentioned I told my fellow chairman in the venue that we will be put together.
For me it’s an exciting thing because we are taking this thing back home in Siaya.”
Oswere, who also serves as the FKF Siaya County Chairman emphasized that the club remains committed to its foundation of developing players at the local level.
“For us we believe in engineering grassroot football, this is an exciting opportunity for talent show because all eyes are going to be on this match and everyone wants to see how this match goes. Our expectation is a win, nobody goes to a match expecting to a lose,” he added.
The fixture carries significant cultural weight. While Gor Mahia is widely considered the community club of the Luo people, Oswere was quick to distinguish between the Nairobi-based giants and the local identity of Dero FC.
ALSO READ: Gor Mahia see off SEAL on Penalties to reach FKF Cup final
He believes hosting the match in Siaya provides a rare, authentic footballing experience for the community.
Gor Mahia is a Nairobi team, associated with Luos. Dero is a division two team in Siaya. Gor coming will be exciting,because they have never played a competitive match in the stadium in Siaya.
The only time they’ve been here was a friendly match against a Ugandan team during the launch. It was more political, we could not control or enjoy so this is for football lovers.
“Dero means traditional granary, we were also looking for a big name that can rival Gor because Gor is a legendary strongman from Luo Nyanza.”
Hosting a team of Gor Mahia’s stature is a challenge in several areas but Oswere views the FKF’s policy of allowing lower-tier teams to host preliminary round matches as a catalyst for the sport.
Reflecting on past experiences, he noted that playing at home carries so much weight.
“The first time we hosted AFC Leopards was around 2017, although we were disadvantaged because we travelled to Kisumu to play at a ground AFC Leopards was used to.
There are some people in the village who have never watched Gor Mahia play and this is a momentous time for them to finally get a chance.”
Dero will host Kogalo in the round of 64 clash at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Stadium in Siaya County on 8th February hoping to progress to the last 32 after a disappointing campaign last time out where they were eliminated at the same stage by AFC Leopards with a 3-1 Scoreline.