East Africa is traditionally a football region despite the fact that none of its nations has made it to the World Cup or the Club World Cup in the case of soccer teams.
The national teams and clubs in this region fiercely battle each other in pursuit of bragging rights and the rivalry on and off the pitch is so fierce that activities come to a standstill when two conflicting sides take on each other.
TeamKenya.co.ke takes a look at the top five fiercely contested matches across the region.
Gor Mahia vs AFC Leopards - Nairobi, Kenya
The Mashemeji Derby in Nairobi is Kenya’s fiercest football rivalry pitting two of the country’s oldest clubs AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia.
The Mashemeji derby was first played on May 5, 1968, and has always brought to a standstill the Kenyan capital of Nairobi which is usually painted in Green and Blue - Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards colours respectively.
The archrivals have played 94 matches since 1968, both teams winning 32 matches with the remaining 30 matches ending in a draw, but the matches have been characterized by hooliganism and violence.
The two are Kenya’s most successful clubs sharing 30 league titles between them and command more than half of the football fan base in the country.
Rayon Sports vs APR FC - Kigali, Rwanda
This is arguably the biggest derby in East Africa, going by its euphoric levels; Rayon Sports and APR FC in the Rwandese capital of Kigali.
Both clubs command a massive fan base in their home country and fans flock the streets in their teams’ colours whenever the Kigali derby is on the menu.
This they do on foot, bicycles, motorbikes and vehicles chanting and singing their club right from kick off to the final whistle.
All bars, pubs and entertainment joints are usually full with fans who cannot make it to the stadium, following the game on live TV, as was the case in their 94th meeting on February 26, 2022.
Yanga vs Simba - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Kariakoo derby - Yanga against traditional rivals Simba - is one of the fiercest derbies that put East African on the world map and specifically Tanzania.
It is the most-watched derby in East Africa and has been on the football calendar since 1966 when the two teams first met.
The venue is often the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam and is usually packed to capacity with fans flocking in from far and wide.
Simba and Yanga have played each other 106 times, Yanga christened Wanajangwani winning 37 with Wekundu wa Msimbazi winning 26.
Yanga are the record champions with 28 titles to their name while Simba have 21.
SC Villa vs Express FC - Kampala, Uganda
The Kampala Derby pitting SC Villa against Express FC is the most anticipated match in the Ugandan Premier League.
Players and fans from both camps have for decades battled for bragging rights, but the analysts have expressed their fears over the dwindling rivalry.
This has been attributed to the fact that the two teams contribute the largest number of players in the national team who have developed friendship which is slowly cooling off the derby.
The Kampala derby has no stretching history compared to other derbies in the region, for the two teams have only met 25 times, SC Villa winning 13 of them while four have ended in draws.
Ethiopia Coffee vs Saint George - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Regarded the biggest derby in Ethiopian football, "Sheger" derby pits two Ethiopian football powerhouses- Ethiopia Coffee and Saint George- in the capital of Addis Ababa.
It is often maximum attendance when the two teams square out at the Addis Ababa Stadium as fans are aware of the top-level entertainment they are bound to be served once the kick-off whistle goes.
The "Sheger" derby started to take shape when St. George’s 14-year league dominance was cut short by Ethiopia Coffee and has proved to be a thriller since then.