Nondies, Oilers seal Kenya Cup semis slots

Menengai Oilers are preparing for another tough contest as they seek a place in the Kenya Cup final after overcoming a spirited Blak Blad side 31-18 in the semi-final playoff at the Refinery Grounds in Nakuru on Saturday.

Record champions Nondescripts also secured a semi-final berth, defeating former winners Kenya Harlequin 38-22 at the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi.

Oilers and Nondies join defending champions Kabras Sugar and KCB in the last four. Kabras and KCB earned automatic semi-final spots after finishing first and second in the regular season of the 12-team men’s 15-a-side rugby league.

Oilers, who have reached every semi-final since their promotion in the 2018-2019 season, will face former champions KCB on March 29 at KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka, Nairobi, while Kabras host Nondies at Kakamega ASK Showground.

Timothy Omela delivered a man-of-the-match performance to propel the Oilers past a resilient Blak Blad, who had suffered a heavy 57-15 defeat in the regular season.

Blak Blad took an early lead when Daniel Oyoo slotted in a first-minute penalty, but Omela quickly responded with a penalty of his own to level the score at 3-3. He then converted an Amos Obae center-post try to put Oilers ahead 10-3.

David Odhiambo’s unconverted try narrowed the gap to 10-8, but Omela’s penalty stretched Oilers' lead to 13-8. Blak Blad briefly went ahead 15-13 after a try and conversion by Opiyo, but Oilers regained the lead just before halftime when Omela converted an Alvin Khavoli try for a 20-15 advantage.

Oyoo cut the deficit to 20-18 with another penalty early in the second half, but Omela struck again with a solo try to extend the lead to 25-18. Two back-to-back penalties from Omela sealed the 31-18 victory for Oilers.

“It was a tough match against Blak Blad. Conditions were unfavorable because of the rain, which made it hard to stick to our game plan. We struggled in the first half but improved as conditions got better. I must say that Blak Blad came well-prepared, but we worked hard to reach the semi-finals,” said Oilers head coach Gibson Weru.

Weru acknowledged areas for improvement: “We had weaknesses in ball handling, and our kicking was affected by the wet ball, but from that experience, we are now better prepared to play in the rain.”

He also highlighted the absence of key player Beldad Ogeta due to suspension but expects him back for the semi-final against KCB. Ogeta was red-carded against Kabras and has now served his three-match suspension.

Oilers face a daunting task against KCB, who have dominated their recent encounters. KCB have won four of the last five meetings, including the most recent two—21-12 in March 2024 and 29-27 last month.

“KCB has been competitive, so the semi-final match will be tough. Our first target was to reach the playoffs, which we did. Now, our focus is on making the final,” Weru said, praising his team’s resilience against Blak Blad. He singled out Samwel Were for his leadership in both attack and defense.

In the other playoff match, Nondescripts dominated Kenya Harlequin 38-22 at Ngong Racecourse to book a semi-final clash with defending champions Kabras on March 29 at ASK Kakamega Showground.

Charles Omondi, Fred Shisia, Tony Owuor, and Daniel Okito scored a try each, while Bruce Odhiambo contributed four penalties and three conversions for Nondies.

Quins head coach Paul Murunga admitted his side fell short of their expectations.

“It has not been the season we planned. We aimed to reach the semi-finals or final after last year’s quarter-final exit, but we fell short again. Our preseason was disrupted as we focused on sevens,” said Murunga.

“We won the National Sevens Circuit and played in Safari Sevens, but this affected our 15s performance. We also lost key players to injuries—Amon Wamalwa (knee), Jan Remke (ankle), and Wiseman Anganya (shoulder). All these setbacks affected us,” he explained.