GHAFLA EXPLORES: Why I’ll Never Attend The Mashemeji Derby Again

Every soccer league in the world has its derby matches, pitting teams that have been ingrained in the social fabric of society against each other. These derbies give added flavour to the average game but some of them, however, spill over into frequent violence, hatred and all-out warfare between the fans of the respective clubs.

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards hold one of the most tempestuous rivalries. It’s fun to watch them in action but I’ll never attend the vociferous and aggressive Mashemeji Derby again. Not after this weekend where I had to jump through stands, rails and fences like a steeplechase runner with a growing sense of panic gnawing at the back of my skull. Usain Bolt could have been no match for me yesterday.

Going to the Mashemeji Derby is almost always directly correlated to getting stoned. My foot still hurts after being stepped on by a lady’s heels in the commotion and one of my phones even fell and was sacrificed in the process. How do you even go to a football game with heels?

Violence has constantly blighted the fixture throughout its long and tumultuous history and this past match didn’t prove to be an exception. It was an intense and brutal occasion. For once, within the grandiose confines of Nyayo Stadium, I was more than scared for my life.

Entering the stadium was a stampede of its own kind. Only one or two gates were open, meaning guys had to scramble to get in. Lots of guys forced themselves in and got in for free. What a loss. Even I had a ticket but it wasn’t checked because, well I was shoved inside by the massive human force. In a situation like that, you just hope and pray that you don’t fall down, because if you do, good luck living.

There were no security checks whatsoever, meaning a terrorist could even get in with a bomb. What a shame. Inside, it was all sun, sweat and weed smoke. I have never understood why the management has never bothered to erect shades in the stands. The only shades are in the VIP area.

Gor Mahia fans claim they aren’t violent. They say it’s all a bunch of hogwash conjured up by people who don’t even attend matches. Well, that’s only partially true

The violence started with crowd disruption when an AFC Leopards fan started throwing stones at the linesman. Then he went on to provoke Gor fans. This resulted in retaliation by the Kogallo faithful who almost bullied Ingwee fans into cowed surrender

Throughout the duration of the match, despite their team being bereft of form, scratching around for a goal and apparently allergic to Gor’s penalty box, Ingwee fans had felt that they were being unfairly treated by the match officials. The desire to win was intense and since Ingwee are desperate for points, this is understandable. The awarding of a penalty to Gor signaled the start of even greater violence and they eventual halting of the match.

I still believe that fan altercations should not be allowed to detract from what is a consistently magnificent spectacle and one of soccer’s most glamorous and high-calibre encounters. Until there are clear legislations to handle fan trouble in derbies, I am never going back.In the words of a layman –hata na dawa. My relationship with local football has been terminated indefinitely. I’d rather watch Leicester City take on West Ham United than risk my life again.