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AFC Leopards

'AFC Leopards SC, often simply known as "AFC" or "the Leopards," is a soccer club, based in Nairobi, that was founded in 1964. Nicknamed "ingwe" ("leopard" in Luhya), it is a traditional and popular Kenyan team and its home stadium is the Nyayo National Stadium, with a capacity of 30,000. Despite being based in the capital, Nairobi in the country's south east,the bedrock of its support is in western Kenya. The team plays in white shirts with blue hoops, white shorts and blue socks and sometimes with blue and white vertically-striped shirts; its alternative outfit is red jerseys and white shorts. Its traditional rival is Gor Mahia; their encounters are assumed to be thrillers, and because of the passion of the fans they are considered as the most intense and famous derbies in the region. AFC is considered an eastern, central and southern Africa soccer powerhouse because of its numerous continental appearances and its dominance in the CECAFA club championships, in addition to its dazzling array of formidable players.

History

AFC Leopards' standing as one of the most successful clubs in the region is underlined by the fact that it has won the Kenyan football league 12 times and the Kenyan cup six times, and the CECAFA Club championship 5 times. The club was formed in 1964 as Abaluhya FC when a number of small clubs amalgamated . The name was changed to All Footballers Club-Leopards, still maintaining the AFC initials (and became AFC Leopards) in 1980, when the Kenyan government banned tribal names (Abaluhya refers to the Luhya tribe). Like many other traditional Kenyan clubs, AFC Leopards faced severe financial difficulties due to mismanagement.Controversies surrounding the conduct of the premier league ended with the club being relegated albeit controversially. In this regard it did not participate in any league in 2007. However, in 2008 they play in Nationwide League, the second tier league in Kenya. Despite these shortcomings plus the troubling financial situation, "ingwe" has maintained a very respectable level of play and still holds a strong tradition as a historical team.

Support

AFC Leopards SC has a large and diverse fanbase, who hold a long-standing rivalry with other clubs, especially Gor Mahia. The club is arguably the biggest and most popular football club in Kenya and the Eastern Africa - with 6 million estimated supporters locally. These fans are composed into a number of supporters branches spread all over the country. More so, its support and fame transcends beyond the Kenyan boundaries to the rest of the continent especially the entire Eastern and Southern Africa. In a sense, Kenya and East Africa's favourite soccer club never plays an away match – AFC Leopards SC draws more supporters at away games than its opposition 'home' teams.Even at present the club still retains higher average attendances than all the clubs in the Kenya Premier League.

Unfortunately on the continental scene AFC Leopard has failed to match Gor Mahia's success. As of to date AFC Leopards is on a rebuilding programme, having been unceremoniously demoted from the premier league. The club's huge membership is working out a plan to develop the club.