- AFC Leopards vs Shabana FC, a thrilling Round 23 SportPesa League clash, will be played on Sunday, March 1.
- The match will be staged at the Nyayo National Stadium from 4:15pm EAT.
- Both sides come into this encounter level on points, nine points behind league leaders Gor Mahia.
AFC Leopards will host Shabana FC at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the standout fixture of the SportPesa League Gameweek 23, with kickoff scheduled for 4:15pm EAT.
The two giants of Kenyan football enter this clash level on points, both desperate to keep their slim title hopes alive after league leaders Gor Mahia extended their lead on Saturday to nine points.
AFC Leopards, currently sitting second on the log with 40 points, are looking for an immediate bounce-back under coach Fred Ambani.
ALSO READ: Gor Mahia edge Mathare United to stretch SportPesa League lead to 9 points
AFC Leopards vs Shabana FC preview
Ingwe saw their momentum halted in midweek following a frustrating 1-0 defeat to KCB. Despite that setback, the 12-time champions remain one of the most disciplined sides in the division, boasting the league’s best defensive record.
Having already defeated Shabana 2-1 in the first leg, Leopards will be confident of completing a season sweep in front of their passionate home fans.
For the visitors, Shabana FC occupies third place, trailing Leopards only on goal difference with 40 points. The Glamour Boys are coming off a dramatic 1-0 victory over Mathare United secured in the final seconds of stoppage time in midweek.
Under coach Peter Okidi, Shabana will be motivated by revenge after their narrow loss to Ingwe earlier in the campaign. A win today would see them leapfrog their rivals into second place.
ALSO READ: Why AFC Leopards raising ticket prices against Shabana is ill advised
AFC Leopards vs Shabana Team News
AFC Leopards are monitoring the progress of several players. Rightback Brian Ojok is a doubt after missing the clash against KCB. Elias Mugane remains a long term absentee.
For Shabana they have a full squad to choose from. Justine Omwando is back on the bench after an injury layoff and could feature as a substitute.
AFC Leopards vs Shabana FC Coaches View
AFC Leopards Head Coach Fred Ambani has admitted that the club needs to do more in terms of chance creation for the primary centre forward Samuel Ssenyonjo and find ways of fitting in new players when changes are made
“We starved Ssenyonjo of chances, considering he is a very good striker. This is something we need to work on before the next match. I know that once we correct that, everything will work out in our favour.
We made a couple of changes that may have disrupted our rhythm. They are not used to playing together. However, we were much better in the second half and were let down by some poor finishing. We were unlucky not to score,” he said.
On his part, Peter Okidi has boldly announced that they are coming for all the three points.
“We will need to humble ourselves as we have always been. AFC Leopards are a good team, but we are the best, and so we are going to work on getting maximum points. They came to Gusii and took our three points, which they have to give us back.”
AFC Leopards vs Shabana FC Head-to-Head and Form
In the first leg of the 2025/26 season, AFC Leopards secured a 2-1 win at the Gusii Stadium.
Recent Form:
- AFC Leopards: L-W-D-W-W (10 points from last 15)
- Shabana FC: W-W-W-W-D (13 points from last 15)
Victory for AFC Leopards would see them pull three points clear in second place and cut Gor Mahia’s lead back to six points. A win for Shabana FC would move them to 43 points second on the log.