Mashemeji Derby: Inside bizarre superstition traditions of Kenya’s biggest football rivals

Rituals, superstition, and fierce rivalry set the stage as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards clash in the Mashemeji Derby.

One of the most intense and iconic rivalries in African football returns this Sunday, March 30 as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards face off in the latest chapter of the Mashemeji Derby at Nyayo National Stadium.

For decades, the Mashemeji Derby has been more than just a football match. It is a cultural spectacle, steeped in tradition, suspicion and strange rituals that begin the night before.

With less than 24 hours to the match the 96th meeting between these two Kenyan giants, eerie stories are already circulating—rumors of overnight vigils, spiritual sabotage and a pitch that must be protected at all costs.

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Saturday night at Nyayo is expected to be anything but ordinary.

Stewards from both teams are likely to spend the night at the stadium, keeping watch over the turf.

According to whispers passed from one generation of fans to the next, rival supporters may attempt to sneak in under cover of darkness to perform unexplainable acts—rituals involving animal remains, mysterious powders, and, in the most unsettling tales, even corpses intended to curse the opposition.

These beliefs, though bizarre to outsiders, are taken seriously within both clubs.

In one previous Derby, a team refused to use the changing rooms, claiming a body had been smuggled in the night before.

In one infamous instance, just as the referee was about to blow the whistle to start the match, a chicken head was discovered at the center circle.

With the crowd watching in disbelief, the match official had to pick it up and toss it away before the game could proceed—a moment that left spectators stunned and has since become part of Derby folklore.

Players are just as invested in these superstitions. Even small actions—like touching a teammate’s boots or jersey—can spark concern. Many believe such gestures can invite swara, a slang term used to describe a spiritual jinx or bad luck.

“These rituals are spread in the Mashemeji Derby because it is a match like no other. There are superstitions on both teams because they are mainly community clubs,” former Gor Mahia striker Ronald Okoth told Pulse Sports in May 2023.

“But they were just normal superstitions that, for example, one will spell bad luck on the other if he touches his belongings, like a jersey and their boots. Ataleta swara.”

Okoth, who also featured for Sofapaka, KCB, and Western Stima, added that the rituals were exclusive to this historic clash.

“I have not seen such rituals on other teams that I have played for,” he said.

“But I do not see any issue with such rituals because Gor Mahia, which I played for, is a community club, and so such is part of their culture.”

That culture extends even to how players enter the stadium. Many avoid the VIP gate and instead use fan entrances such as the Russia gate. They walk across the pitch before warm-up as part of a pre-match ritual believed to neutralize spiritual interference believed to be lurking in the tunnels or dressing rooms.

During a 1-1 draw in August 2017, both teams famously avoided the changing rooms altogether. Players used their team buses to dress, preferring the safety of tradition over convenience. It is just one example of how deeply superstition runs through this fixture.

Gate six at Nyayo Stadium is another hotspot, where die-hard fans of both teams sit in close proximity. Heated verbal exchanges, emotional chants, and even minor scuffles are part of the routine as the charged atmosphere spills beyond the pitch.

And yet, amid the animosity, moments of unity have emerged. In 2017, ahead of the general elections, fans from both sides sang together in solidarity, setting aside tribal and club differences. It was a rare and powerful reminder of the unifying force of football—even in a match known more for its divisions.

AFC Leopards will be going into the match seeking redemption following a 1-0 loss to Gor Mahia in their previous meeting and the stakes are higher than ever.

But for many fans and insiders, the result may not be decided solely by skill and tactics. The battle begins the night before, in the shadows of Nyayo Stadium, where stories of strange happenings are expected to come alive once more.