NAIROBI, Kenya, March 2, 2026 – Shabana head coach Peter Okidi has accused AFC Leopards fans of dark art tactics in Sunday’s 5-1 loss at the Nyayo Stadium.
Okidi believes Ingwe fans instigated the fracas that led to a temporary halt to the match as police lobbed teargas to disperse fans.
“I am sorry to say this but it is very shameful of them. They were leading but we had the momentum. I believe and I trust that had the game not been stopped, we would have come back into the game,” the gaffer said.
Okidi further insists that the actions of the opposite fans were intentional and turned the game on its head.
“It’s like they were doing it intentionally to achieve something. It eventually won the game for their team and punctured the momentum we were building. Congratulations to AFC Leopards but if this is how they had to do it then it’s quite unfortunate,” the coach said.
The top-of-the-table clash was temporarily halted in the 66th minute after law enforcers lobbed teargas to disperse fans from both sides.
At that point, Ingwe had scored their third goal through Samuel Ssenyonjo, just immediately after Shabana captain George Orako had pulled one back with a bullet header.
Upon resumption, Leopards tore Tore Bobe apart, adding two more goals by Kayci Odhiambo and Ssenyonjo to condemn them to their worst loss thus far, this season.
Okidi admitted that they gave too much space in the backline, which were well exploited by Fred Ambani’s charges, especially on the transition.
“We started off quite well but we couldn’t maximise our chances and it cost us. We also left a lot of gaps in the backline, which they took advantage of. It is something we need to work on and erase from our game. On the transition, we were very sluggish falling back,” he said.
The Glamour Boys will be eyeing a return to winning ways against Kariobangi Sharks on Sunday.
They sit third on the Kenya Premier League log with 40 points — three adrift of AFC Leopards and nine less than leaders Gor Mahia.
