New date, venue for first leg of Mashemeji Derby announced

The first leg of the Mashemeji Derby will be played on Saturday, 29 November at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Initially, the match was supposed to be played on Sunday at Kasarani Stadium.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news

However, the league body brought the fixture forward by a day following the unavailability of Kasarani Stadium.

The venue is set to stage a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup fixture, where league debutants Nairobi United will take on DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union.

The record league champions had booked Kasarani for the continental clash, making it impossible to accommodate the derby on the same day.

Compounding the scheduling challenge, Nyayo National Stadium was also unavailable on Sunday, 30 November, due to a state function set to take place at the facility.

Highs, lows for Kenyan players and coaches in CAF inter-club group stage opener

The simultaneous unavailability of both iconic venues had threatened to push the historic fixture to the brink of postponement.

The Mashemeji Derby has a history of venue-related disruptions in the previous campaign.

Last season, the fixture faced uncertainty twice as renovations at the venues, which were undertaken for hosting the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament matches, forced postponements.

AFC Leopards eventually hosted the derby on 30 March after the stadium was cleared for use, witnessing the return of league action at the venue in over a year.

CAFCC: Nairobi United suffer heavy defeat in group stage debut as Wydad run riot

That season, the highly anticipated clash failed to produce a winner, with both sides sharing the spoils across the two-legged affair.

The first leg at Nyayo ended goalless, while the return fixture at Raila Odinga Stadium on 2 June concluded in a 1-1 draw.