Leopards grapple with injury problems as rivals Gor loom

AFC Leopards will be without their captain Duncan Otieno and two other key players when they face their nemesis Gor Mahia in the eagerly anticipated SportPesa Premier League at the 60,000-seater Me International Sports Center, Kasarani on Sunday.

The meeting will be the 84th Mashemeji derby between this age-old rival football, and even though the buzz of yesteryears is decidedly muted it will still be a high stakes meeting with all important bragging rights

While I was suspended for 3pm having accumulated five yellow cards, defender Robinson Kamura and winger Brian Marita were sidelined with ankle and hip injuries respectively.

Ingwe coach Rodolfo Zapata has The Challenge of the Killing Challenge at the Hull City Challenge at the Afraha Stadium on May 1.

"We 've no excuses,' said the Argentine after guiding the 13-time champions at a Friday training session at St. Paul's University grounds, Limuru.

He added: "All players have responded to my coaching this week. I respect Gor Mahia, their coach Dylan (Kerr) in the absence of skipper Otieno, Zapata will hand train Gor Mahia forward Ezekiel Odera the captain's armband. 19659004] Odera and Whyvonne Isuza have scored 18 goals in 22 games, one better than Gor's attacking Rwandese duo Jacques Tuyisenge (10) and Ivorian Ephrem Guikan who has seven goals.

"It's a game like any other but the difference "Odera, who is likely to partner midseason signing?" (19659004) "The two looked sharp in Friday 's training as Eugene Mukangula and Jafari Owiti operated from the flanks.

Gor, who has three games in his hand, top the table standings with 49 points, 13 ahead of fifth-place Leopards.

The reigning champions however need to recover within 48 hours after their midweek 4-0 triumph over Young Africans of Tanzania in their Caf Confederation Cup Group D encounter.

Zapata, who has lost ounce in 11 matches since taking charge in April, has downplayed tiredness in Gor team that were also busy in the recently held Cecafa Kagame Cup in Dar es Salaam where they finished third. "Derbies are unpredictable," he said.

Tickets for the game have been priced at Sh500 VIP and Sh200 terraces. The derby was first scheduled for May 26 at Bukhungu Stadium and was postponed to pave way for Harambee Stars' friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland