Gor Mahia midfielder warns Mashemeji Derby win is "not guaranteed"

Gor Mahia midfielder Lawrence Juma has played down the assertion that Gor Mahia are favorites going into Monday, 2 June’s Mashemeji Derby, stressing that his teammates have got to “give the very best” to win against fierce rivals AFC Leopards and rekindle their bid to reclaim the FKF Premier League title.

K’Ogalo head into the rescheduled tie looking to pile pressure on runaway leaders Kenya Police, who only need a win in their remaining two matches to be crowned champions for the first time.

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And whilst league standings, history, and opinions from his teammates point to the direction of Gor Mahia getting past one hurdle on Monday at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homabay, Juma is of a different opinion.

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“The thing about Gor Mahia is that there is no easy game. Games are easy when they’ve already been played, ” the midfielder told the club media on Friday, referencing a patchy run of form in April and May that hurt their title chances.

“When you look back at the last games we’ve played, people felt positive that we would, on paper, get good results, but at the end of the day, that was not the case. That means that there is no easy team.”

In Leopards, Gor Mahia comes up against a team placed sixth on the log, and on course for another trophyless campaign this season.

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Historically, the men in green have had the edge on head-to-head, winning 33 of the 96 league derbies as compared to Ingwe’s 28.

“It's a motivation, bearing in mind that Gor is a bigger team and the quality we have,” Juma said. “But it is not a guarantee. We just have to stay very very focused and give the very best because this is a very critical time for us. But not to give up, it is not lost yet.”