Gor Mahia Seek Derby Postponement As Venue Crisis Throws Mashemeji Showdown Into Disarray

Uncertainty has gripped Kenyan football once again as the highly anticipated Mashemeji Derby faces a fresh crisis. With less than a week to go, Gor Mahia have written to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) requesting that the derby against AFC Leopards be postponed due to a lack of an available venue.

The letter, dated November 26, 2025, expressed the club’s frustration after failing to secure a suitable stadium for the match. Gor Mahia, as the designated home team, confirmed that every attempt to find a venue had hit a dead end, forcing them to officially seek a new date.

https://x.com/OfficialGMFC/status/1993576220936884617

Nyayo Stadium, long considered the most likely option, is fully booked for World Aids Day events, with preparations beginning this weekend. According to Gor Mahia official Ronald Ngala, the federation is still in delicate negotiations with the event organizers, hoping to strike a compromise. But as of now, Nyayo cannot host the derby.

“All we know is that the derby will be played this week. Our headache is the venue since both Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium are booked,” Ngala said. “The Federation is working day and night, but nothing is guaranteed yet.”

Kasarani, the country’s largest stadium and the traditional venue for high-profile fixtures, is also unavailable. Nairobi United secured the ground for their CAF Confederation Cup group-stage match against Maniema Union, with the visiting Congolese team scheduled to train on the pitch the day before. This blocks the stadium from hosting the derby on both Saturday and Sunday.

This double booking leaves FKF with no confirmed venue, and no clear timeline for when one will be secured. Sources indicate the federation is exploring several emergency options, including relocating World Aids Day preparations to Uhuru Gardens to free up Nyayo. However, no deal has been reached, and time is rapidly running out.

The logistical headache comes at a moment when Gor Mahia’s camp is already dealing with on-field frustration. The league leaders suffered a shocking 4–1 defeat to APS Bomet after coach Charles Akonnor rotated heavily, a decision that left fans angry and questioning the timing with the derby looming.

Despite the loss, Gor still sit top of the table with 19 points from nine matches and are unbeaten in their last seven league games. AFC Leopards, meanwhile, continue to struggle for consistency and remain without a derby win since May 2023. Ingwe’s most recent outing a 1–1 draw with Kariobangi Sharks has only piled more pressure on their technical bench.

As it stands, fans on both sides are stuck in suspense, waiting for clarity from the federation. With Nyayo Stadium unavailable, Kasarani locked out, and no alternative yet confirmed, the Mashemeji Derby remains in limbo a rare and worrying situation for Kenya’s biggest football fixture.

Until FKF secures an agreement, the fate of the derby hangs by a thread. Supporters across the country can only hope that a solution emerges soon, allowing football not logistics to take centre stage.