PREVIEW: Wounded AFC Leopards aim to bounce back against Nairobi United
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 18.03.26. | 08:28
In the standings, AFC Leopards sit second with 43 points, trailing leaders Gor Mahia by 10, while Nairobi United are ninth, 20 points off the top
AFC Leopards will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways when they face Nairobi United in a rescheduled FKF Premier League clash at Nyayo National Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, with kick-off set for 3 PM.
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The fixture had originally been scheduled for Monday, 26 January, but was postponed due to Naibois' involvement in the CAF Confederation Cup. A similar situation affected their first-leg meeting, which was eventually played on Thursday, 8 January, with Leopards securing a 2-0 victory at Nyayo.
Heading into the match, Ingwe will be looking to respond after a heavy defeat to Mathare United last Saturday. Despite taking a 1-0 lead, a late collapse saw them concede four goals and lose 4-1 to the side coached by John Kamau.
Nairobi United, on the other hand, come into the game on a positive note after edging Sofapaka FC 1-0 at the Kasarani Annex, a result that deepened their opponent’s relegation concerns.
Tensions ran high among Leopards supporters following the Mathare defeat, with frustrations directed at head coach Fred Ambani. The situation escalated to the point where police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Ambani will now be keen to see a strong response from his side as they look to keep alive their hopes of ending a league title drought stretching close to three decades, while also facing the challenge of a Nairobi United side that are the reigning Mozzart Bet Cup champions.
On the injury front, Leopards have been dealt a blow in defence, with Kayci Odhiambo and Emmanuel Lwangu sidelined, both of whom have formed the preferred central pairing in recent matches. Forwards Elias Mugane and Maxwell Otieno remain long-term absentees.
Nairobi United will be without key winger Ovella Ochieng, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Ahead of the encounter, Nairobi United assistant coach Boniface Omondi expressed confidence in his team’s chances, attributing their first-leg loss to fatigue.
“In the first leg, we largely lost due to fatigue, having had minimal rest of two days from an away match against Shabana. This time round, we all have had the same number of rest days and without much travel and are therefore confident of securing a win,” he said.
He, however, expects a difficult contest, noting that Leopards will be motivated to respond after their recent setback.
“We anticipate a very tough game. After they lost to Mathare United, we expect them to come out strongly,” he added.
In the standings, AFC Leopards sit second with 43 points, trailing leaders Gor Mahia by 10, while Nairobi United are ninth, 20 points off the top.
