AFC Leopards captain Clifton Miheso has issued a warning shot at rivals Gor Mahia ahead of Sunday's Mashemeji derby.
The traditional top-flight giants will flex muscles in a 92nd edition of the nation's most cherished football showpiece at Nyayo Stadium.
Miheso reckons Leopards have sharpened their talons well enough to cruise past K'Ogalo, who head into the encounter buoyed by an impressive league campaign that has them top of the Kenyan Premier League standings.
"We are ready for Gor Mahia on Sunday. They should expect some fireworks," Miheso remarked.
Miheso acknowledges that they face a fierce side eagerly groping for a record 21st title.
"We expect a tough encounter. Mashemeji derby has been fiercely contested over the years and I doubt if it will be any different this time around," he added.
Leopards' 1-0 win over Posta Rangers over the weekend at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos was a big motivation heading into the derby.
"The win gave us the morale and self-belief we need ahead of the derby. We only need to sustain the momentum and I'm confident we'll register a positive result against Gor," he said.
“Preparations (for the derby) started immediately after our match against Posta."
Miheso wants their huge and passionate Ingwe fanbase to turn out in large numbers and roar them on during the crunch tie.
"My humble plea is for the fans to turn out at Nyayo Stadium in large numbers so that they can pull their weight behind us. We are ready to rise to the occasion,” he said.
The derby was switched to Sunday to pave the way for Saturday's Kip Keino Classic.
And given Moi Stadium, Kasarani is undergoing renovation, the only other option Gor had as the hosts was the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
That, however, led to an outcry from disgruntled K'Ogalo fans, who raised concerns about the safety of the 8,000-seater sports facility, given the volatile nature of the match.
Gor brag the best head-to-head statistics with 31 wins compared to Leopards' 27 with 34 duels going even.
