- AFC Leopards aim to end break blues when they host Mara Sugar in a SportPesa League Round 31 clash.
- The match will be staged at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, May 9, from 4:15pm.
- Ingwe sit second on the table with 55 points, nine behind leaders Gor Mahia on 64, and will hope to cut the gap to six points before Gor face Kenya Police on Sunday.
After two weeks out of action, AFC Leopards return to the pitch on Saturday, May 9, hoping to atone for their recent mistakes when they host Mara Sugar at the Nyayo National Stadium from 4:15pm.
The last time Ingwe were in action was on April 26, when they narrowly lost 1-0 to arch-rivals Gor Mahia in the 99th Mashemeji Derby, a result that dealt a huge blow to their SportPesa League title ambitions.
K’Ogalo managed to secure a win against Kakamega Homeboyz the following weekend, widening their lead at the top to nine points, now sitting on 64 points while leaving Ingwe in second with 55.
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AFC Leopards aim to end break blues against Mara Sugar
So Ingwe, who still have a game in hand against Ulinzi Stars, will be aiming to close the gap on Saturday against Mara and reduce that deficit to six points.
They now hold onto a flicker of hope that Gor drop points in their remaining four matches to keep the title race alive until the final round.
Fred Ambani’s charges enter this clash on the back of consecutive defeats, and they will be eager to bounce back, because before falling to Gor, they had also lost 3-0 to defending champions Kenya Police.
On top of that, Ingwe’s six losses this season have come at critical moments: they either drop points after a long break or lose their first game back; whether from an international break or the FKF Cup pause.
So they will be looking to close that chapter now, at this very crucial juncture, as they fight for their season’s mission.
And head coach Ambani has not thrown in the towel on the title race, remaining defiant and believing they can still get wins and the trophy in the remaining matches.
“Football is unpredictable. Teams drop points when you least expect them. Our job is to stay in the race. We still have games to play, and if Gor can lose and we win our games, we stand a chance,” Ambani said.
For the Sugar Millers, their job is npt complete yet. They sit ninth on the log but are closer to the relegation zone than the top three – just ten points above 16th-placed Kariobangi Sharks, with 40 points compared to Sharks’ 30.
Thus, they will be looking for a fourth straight victory to keep alive their chances of avoiding the relegation math this season unlike during their debut campaign last term.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Mara Sugar coach Xavier Francis states they are ready, and his side is well-prepared to take on Ingwe no matter what the match holds for his former club as a player.
“I don’t know the importance of this game for my former club. However, we have trained and prepared to win. They have their ambitions, we also have ours,” said the former Leopards midfielder.
These two sides are meeting for the fourth time since Mara gained promotion, and they share the form; Mara won the last outing (the reverse fixture) 2-0, while Ingwe won one match last season 2-1, and they have also held each other to a 1-1 draw once.