AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has shared how the club managed to fill up Nyayo Stadium for the Mashemeji Derby that ended goalless against Gor Mahia.
AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has opened up on what the club did differently to ensure Nyayo Stadium was full to the brim during the Mashemeji Derby on Sunday.
Leopards hosted arch rivals Gor Mahia in the 96th edition of the Mashemeji Derby on Sunday with the match ending goalless.
The contest was witnessed by a capacity crowd who filled up Nyayo Stadium, seven days after a similar scene was witnessed at the very facility, when Harambee Stars hosted Gabon in a World Cup qualifier.
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While there were several incidents of disorderliness during the Harambee Stars match, there were few reported for the Mashemeji Derby and Shikanda has gone into details over how they ensured the stadium was full.
“The game was well marketed by the media, like I was hosted on radio and the Gor Mahia chairman was also hosted,” Shikanda told Pulse Sports on Monday.
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“We engaged influencers like comedian Jacky Vike (Awinja) whose skit was trending on social media and the football fraternity like such things.
“There was also good banter from social media from both sets of fans and the two club’s social media teams also pushed the game and engaged fans.”
Ticketing was a huge issue in the Kenya vs Gabon match when a lot of fans got into the stadium without paying and while Shikanda admits his club tried to check this anomaly, there were still fans who sneaked in.
“We tried to do our business early enough although there were still some people who got in without tickets,” said Shikanda, whose team embraced online ticketing for the match.
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“It is a cultural thing, some people come without tickets and demand to enter. We have been trying to do some civic education and we hope it helps change this.”
The other thing that Shikanda feels also generated interest is the fact that his team has improved their display on the pitch while it had a huge bearing on the FKF Premier League title race.
“The club also has been playing well and the fans knew it would be a good match. I hope the return leg will be different in terms of the result,” he added.
“A lot was at stake. We could have gone one two points behind them had we won and they could have gone two points behind Police had they won,” Shikanda further said.
Leopards remained fifth on the table with 37 points from 24 matches, 11 behind leaders Kenya Police, while Gor Mahia are third on 43 points, five behind the law enforcers, but with a game in hand.