Football: AFC Lopards, Gor Mahia to set the tone on opening day of 2025-26 Kenyan Premier League
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
AFC Lopards eye winning start against Sofapaka FC
The Kenyan Premier League kicks off this weekend with seven blockbuster fixtures on the card, the first of which saw Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) take down Tusker 2-0 on the road on Friday night in the league opener.
On Saturday, we will head to the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, where AFC Leopards will get their season underway with a tricky fixture against Sofapaka FC, and you can check out our experts' thoughts and insights for this clash via our Leopards SC vs Sofapaka FC prediction.
Ingwe will be hoping to carry their form from the end of last season into this term. Leopards ended the previous campaign unbeaten in eight matches, but with only three of those being wins, they were forced to settle for sixth place, 14 points off the league winners.
Gor Mahia look for strong start against Bidco United
Gor Mahia were dethroned by Kenya Police FC last season, but with the current league champions’ opening match being postponed due to CAF Champions League commitments, K’Ogalo will have a chance to lay down an early marker.
Sinisa Mihic’s side lost the Shield Cup final to Nairobi United in their last competitive outing, but ended last season unbeaten in their final four league games, which included holding Police to a hard-earned 1-1 draw on the final day. Catch Gor Mahia’s first match against Bidco using our football liverscore tool.
Captain Phiemon Otieno went on record in the week to say that the team’s new arrivals have settled well ahead of their season opener, and he is expecting them to help turn things around after a trophyless 2024-25.
Posta Rangers seeking major improvement this season
Matchday 1 of the 2025-26 Kenyan Premier League will draw to a close on Monday afternoon when Mathare United play host to Posta Rangers at the Kasarani Annexe Stadium within the Moi International Sports Centre complex. Check out our Kenya Premier League predictions for all the key stats in this match.
The Mailmen endured a terrible campaign in 2024-25, only managing eight wins from their 34 games. They finished on 35 points, which was the same as relegated Talanta and City Stars and only stayed up via a tiebreaker.
An opening week victory feels essential for Rangers to help them build some confidence for the season, but they were beaten home and away by Mathare last term, including a 3-2 defeat at this venue back in April this year.
