Blog: This week we say NO to the rival fan from HELL

Though not scientifically proven, I think rival fans are biologically programmed to get under each other’s skin and this is what makes football fun.

Rival fans are always on hand to remind you of that minute you lost the Premier League title (93:20), how their best player scores when he wants, as they place a 50 million pound price tag on the misses your “best striker” makes. The rival fan will always claim their young winger wins penalties fairly and almost immediately make sensational allegations of how Hazardous it is to the image of the beautiful game when your honest forward wins three genuine penalties in successive games, labeling him a diver.

When hooligans ambush and attack loyalists following their beloved green troops, the rival fan will with a cheeky smile be ready to inform you that its “the Luanda disciplinary committee” acting under a honorary mandate given to them by an imaginary anti noise agency of the land, to punish noise makers who have a history of impunity.

In retaliatory fashion, the blue camp loses beloved colleagues (may the almighty rest their souls in peace) in an accident and in attempt to hit where it hurts most, commanders in the green army instruct their foot soldiers to carry mock coffins to the super El Classico with devastating results.

Keep in check

Perhaps this explains why the much anticipated match did not see its prescribed lifetime of 90 minutes elapse without controversy.

As we all look forward to arguably the biggest club game in the history of Kenyan football owing to what is at stake, I am anticipating a lot of mockery trading between fans. Once again we’ll hear the blue corner chant “Mudavadi, Marende, Wanyama” as the Greens exalt their own by shouting “Odinga, Oliech, Obama”.

This is the week when Kenyan fans will forget all about Lionel Messi by declaring that their cult heroes in Paul Were and Rama Salim are the best vertically challenged left footed players in the world and in my opinion all this should be encouraged since it adds a lot of merit to the development of the Kenyan game.

When the referee blows the final whistle, even if some decide to rebrand Jogoo Rd- Mbuta Rd or Kuku turns carnivorous and feeds on fish, lets all in one accord decide not to result to the barbaric acts that have been synonymous with this fixture over the course of its history. There is a thin line between tribalism and celebrating diversity and in the Kenyan spirit lets all focus on the latter come matchday.

Let football rule

To the media, I understand that scandal or controversy sells, but I urge you to focus on the thousands of positives that will sure grace Kasarani as opposed to the few negatives that might be there, for the good of the game.   

I, just like millions out there would love to see Ingwelets and K'ogalo divas change shirts as a show of unity among fans, but for the sake of decency and the African values I hold dear, I urge, if there will be losers on the day to bow down humbly, shout “Igweeeeee” or "Kogloooo" in respect and accept defeat.

Always remember that the one that loses, lives to fight another day”.