Having won the top-flight title 29 years ago, AFC Leopards had an opportunity to leapfrog rivals Gor Mahia and claim the top spot in the 18-team league table.
Ingwe were two points behind the Kenyan record champions, and victory could have seen them move one point ahead with six matches remaining to conclude the season.
However, under bright, sunny skies in the capital, it was Police, who seized control almost immediately. In the sixth minute, Yves Junior Koutiama struck with precision to hand the law enforcers an early lead.
Buoyed by the opener, Police, who are the defending champions, maintained relentless pressure. Their efforts paid off again in the 31st minute when Erick Zakayo calmly finished off a superbly crafted assist from Daniel Sakari, doubling the advantage and firmly putting AFC Leopards on the back foot.
As the first half drew to a close, Police delivered yet another blow. In the 45th minute, Charles Ouma found the back of the net to make it 3-0, capping off a dominant first-half display that left AFC Leopards struggling for answers.
The second half saw tactical adjustments from Police FC, with a triple substitution in the 71st minute introducing Brian Chonjo, Clinton Kinanga and Awesu Ali in place of Alvin Mang’eni, Yves Koutiama and Erick Zakayo.
AFC Leopards conceded the defeat was a huge blow in their quest to win the title, but remained confident the race was far from over.
‘AFC still in title race’
“Sliding and falling is not the end of the journey,” a defiant Ambani told Flashscore after the game. “We are still in the title race.
“That was a small setback, and I have asked my players to move on quickly and think about the best game.
“I cannot be happy after the defeat, but it gives us the opportunity to work on a few mistakes and get ready for the derby.”
On why AFC Leopards got punished in the first half, Ambani said: “Defence was an issue, but those are things that happen in a game. They (players) have been giving us points during past matches, so we encourage them, and I believe they will keep giving us points.”
Following the defeat, AFC Leopards will return to action against rivals Gor Mahia in the Mashemeji derby on Sunday, April 26. The first derby of the season ended in favour of AFC Leopards after they secured a 1-0 win.
Asked about the derby, Ambani responded: “Our next option now is to look at how we can win the derby. The players must also know at least, it is not all lost, there is another day, and we are still in the race.”
On whether the absence of key player James Kinyanjui played a part, the former Kenya national team Harambee Stars striker, said: “You cannot be depending on one player, it is bad luck, we are not sure if we would still have lost (with Kinyanjui in the team), so we will keep working and see how it goes.”
Muyoti sorry for AFC defeat
On his part, Police coach Nicholas Muyoti, who played for AFC Leopards during his playing career, and later coached them, said he was sorry for the damaging defeat, adding he wished AFC Leopards the best of luck in the derby.
“AFC Leopards was my club before, I played for them, and later coached them, and honestly speaking, I feel bad because we have beaten a team that is chasing for the title,” said Muyoti.
“It is a huge setback for them, but it is not over yet. I hope they can regroup and go for a win in the derby.”
Muyoti added: “We managed to beat them because my team was tactically good, and they played according to instruction. We performed well and managed to score many goals, while defensively we did very well, and I’m happy about it.”
The defeat left AFC Leopards second with 55 points amassed from 16 wins, seven defeats, while Gor Mahia remained top with 57 points garnered from 17 wins, six draws, and four defeats.
