‘You did injustice to AFC Leopards players’- Ambani to Ingwe fans after FKF Cup exit
Former Kenyan international Boniface Ambani believes AFC Leopards fans did an injustice to the club players after causing a disruption during their match against Kenya Police.
Leopards faced Kenya Police with hopes of bettering last season's performance, where they finished third in the domestic cup.
AFC Leopards target
The Big Cats aimed to rekindle memories of their 2017 victory when they beat Kariobangi Sharks 2-0 under Robert Matano to win their 10th domestic cup at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on a Friday. 
However, their dream was cut short when they conceded an early goal scored by Tito Okello in the sixth minute.
The match was abandoned in the 60th minute due to an injury sustained by second assistant referee Samuel Kuria after a fan hurled an object, making it impossible for him to continue officiating and necessitating urgent medical attention.
After calm was restored, the lack of floodlights at the venue posed significant safety concerns for all players, technical staff, supporters, and other stakeholders, preventing the match from resuming.
As time passed, it became increasingly clear that resuming the match would compromise the well-being of those involved. The match was deferred to Monday morning under closed doors, and Leopards could not change the scoreline.
Ambani said he felt that Leopards were on the right track to equalize, with the match stopping at a time when Kevin Kimani, Brian Yakhama, and Victor Omune were about to be substituted in.
"AFC Leopards fans caused a match disruption against Police FC, a match that had to continue from the very minute they disrupted it. It's quite sad that this happened with more than 30 minutes to go. I was watching that match, and at that point, Leopards had upped their tempo. On the touchline, Leopards were lining up for three substitutions: Kimani, Yakhama, and Omune—lethal, very impactful players," Ambani said in a statement on his social media.
The former Tusker and Yanga forward condemned the incident and termed it as insane to throw objects onto the pitch over one error.
"It's insane to start throwing objects on the pitch when your team is fighting for an equalizer, just because a ref made a wrong call. These uncouth behaviors should cease. I believe, and you should believe in your players, that anything can happen in 90 minutes.
"We have seen teams trailing 2-0 up to the 90th minute and end up winning the match in extra time with great comebacks. Ages ago, a match like that could have started from point zero. Today, fans have some football knowledge. Disrupt a match with 10 minutes to go, and the next day, it will start from that point," he added.
Message to AFC Leopards fans
The former Leopards Cubs coach feels that the fans' actions handed Kenya Police an easy qualification and urged them to fully believe in their players. 
"You guys did an injustice to those AFC Leopards players. Hooliganism has no space in football. It's the club and the players who suffer most. You handed Police FC a smooth ticket to the finals. That's the bitter pill. If you can't have great belief in your players, kindly stay at home; don't come to the stadium to bring your stress there. It's wrong," he concluded.
