K’ogalo’s match with AFC Leopards is normally considered the biggest rivalry in the Kenya football scene. This is mainly due to the fact that the two are the most successful clubs not only in the country but also in the East African region. Between them, they have won over thirty trophies in the region.
However, I beg to differ. The reason for my different point of view is two words: AFC Leopards. Their form has been quite erratic in the last three seasons. It appears that all Ingwe does is mainly to avoid relegation. Secondly, though they are very inconsistent on the pitch, they are the most consistent team when it comes to one thing: firing their managers.
So, then the million dollar question is, which team is K’ogalo’s biggest rival locally?
Some four teams would best fit this role mainly because of their results over the last four to five seasons. These teams are Ulinzi, Sofapaka and Tusker. These have been the most consistent teams in the Kenya football scene in terms of results and trophies won.
Ulinzi vs K’ogalo is starting to take the form of a grudge match whenever the two meet. The two have faced each other thrice this season and the results have been as follows: 1-0 to K’ogalo, 0-0, and 1-0 to Ulinzi. The Ulinzi “win” was a boardroom decision since the match was never concluded on the pitch.
Sofapaka vs K’ogalo is apparently about the teacher versus the apprentice. This is the team that wishes to dethrone K’ogalo from our patch. They desire to be the dominant team of the region. They are fighting tooth and nail to be counted among the football giants in this region. I must admit that they are a team to watch and if we ignore them, it will be to our peril. Their only duel with us this season ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Tusker FC is a very different proposition altogether. After both K’ogalo and Ingwe, they are the third most successful club in the country. Arguably the best team locally over the last decade. At the beginning of each season, their name Is usually mentioned among the title favorites.
Their undoing is that even when K’ogalo was struggling, they have always found it quite a difficult task to conjure a win against us.
They have had a succession of top coaches and their current coach, Sammy Omollo, is also their former player as well as a former player and coach of K’ogalo. During the match between Ingwe and K’ogalo, this coach was rooting for an Ingwe win and he has always stated that he considers us one of their main rivals for the KPL trophy this season.
The first match between the two was played away from the city in Mumias and ended 0-0. According to the majority of K’ogalo’s fans, the match was switched to Mumias to reduce the contribution of K’ogalo fans. How disappointed then Tusker must have been when they discovered that as long as a match between K’ogalo and any other team is played within the boundaries of this nation, then K’ogalo fans will always show up in their thousands?
My conclusion? Tusker FC is K’ogalo’s biggest rival locally. For this reason the second leg tie between these two teams on Wednesday this week, is a must watch match what with the huge prize of the three points on offer whereby should we win, we will continue with our unstoppable move up the table.
