Kenya Cup top six fight for play-off positions
Menengai Oilers center Chrispine Shitundo is tackled by Paul Mutsami of Kenya Harlequins as Edward Shitanda closes in during their Kenya Cup match at RFUEA grounds January 25, 2025.
Menengai Oilers tackle rampant defending champions Kabras Sugar in the penultimate round of the Kenya Cup regular season at Nakuru Showground today as teams jostle for straight semi-final berths and play-off spots.
Leaders KCB (45 points), second placed Kabras Sugar (44) and Menengai Oilers (41) aren’t guaranteed the two straight semi-final places with only five points separating them.
However, the bankers and the sugar millers are the only unbeaten sides this season and will be keen to secure top status going into the post season.
Oilers, Nondies (29), Quins (27) and Blak Blad (21), are more or less guaranteed the four semi-final play-off slots and will be fighting for position that will determine their knock-out opponent.
Kabras and Oilers go into the epic duel on the floor of the Great Rift on the back of tight but contrasting results in their last matches.
The sugar men dug deep to edge out hard fighting Nondies 7-3 while oilers succumbed to a last-gasp try to lose 29-27 to KCB.
Kabras skipper George Nyambua and his Oilers counterpart Crispin Shitundo expect a battle of grit and wits today
“We haven’t lost to our younger brothers, the Oilers and tomorrow (Saturday) won’t be an exemption. We have worked on the mistakes that made in our last encounter with Nondies,” said Nyambua. “We gave away many penalties against Nondies particularly in the scrum.”
“Oilers won 18 points against KCB from the scrums and that gives us food for thought,” said Nyambua.
Shitundo said that inexperience and poor decision making have always been their undoing when they face Kabras.
Kabras will have the luxury of fielding some of their Kenya Sevens stars Jone Kubu, Kelvin Wekesa, Brian Tanga, Jackson Siketa and William Muhanji while Oilers will have sevens international Dennis Abukuse available.
Francis Atiti has replaced Destrious Ifedha at loose head prop at Oilers, while Kevin Mukoyani comes in for Celestine Mboi at hooker. Ifedha and Mboi drop to the bench.
Experienced Elkeans Musonye will start at number eight, with Amos Obae moving to the bench.
Since making their debut in Kenya Cup during the 2018/2019 season, Oilers are yet to beat Kabras Sugar.
One of the most memorable meetings between the two sides was during the 2021/2022 Kenya Cup final at the Bullring, Kakamega where the sugar millers won 34-28 after trailing 18-8 at the break.
Kabras Sugar and Menengai Oilers are sponsored by West Kenya Sugar Limited and Menengai Oilers Refineries respectively. These companies are owned by the Rai family.
Elsewhere, league leaders KCB host Impala at KCB Ruaraka Sports Club while Nondescripts take on South Coast Pirates at the Ngong Racecourse with Kenya Harlequin and Kisumu playing at RFUEA ground.
Nakuru and Mwamba clash at the Nakuru Athletics Club as Blak Blad host Strathmore Leos at Kenyatta University.
It’s a fight for survival for Nakuru (9 points) and Pirates (8), who are in the relegation zone even though four other teams, Impala (15), Strathmore (12), Kisumu (12) and Mwamba( 10) are also not safe from the big chop.