What next for Kabras Sugar after 5th straight Kenya Cup title?

They also became only the third team in Kenyan history to win five Kenya Cup titles in a row after Impala (1970-1974) and Nondescripts (1978-1982).

Kabras club chairman Edwin Esilaba now says they are not relenting and will ensure they become the first team to win six successive titles and more.

“The Kenya Cup will stay in the forest for a long time. There is no resting in the forest,” said Esilaba.

Kakamega ASK Showground, Kabras Sugar’s home ground, has been christened “The Forest”.

Esilaba said their success comes from the huge investment they have put in youth development with the help of their sponsors West Kenya Sugar Company Limited.

“We scout for between 25 to 30 players exclusively from schools around Western, but also players from outside in exceptional cases,” said Esilaba.

Esilaba singled out their forward players like Roy Maruti, who is only 19 years old and has already won two Kenya Cups.

“Our scrum-half Brian Tanga, who was recruited from Ambira High School, has won his sixth Kenya Cup. That is what development structures produce,” said Esilaba.

'Heavy contribution'

The Kabras chairman noted that the huge support from West Kenya Sugar Company Chief Executive Officer Tejveer Rai has also heavily contributed to their success.

“His passion for the game is beyond explanation. He understands the value of the team, players’ welfare and the need to develop the game and talent,” said Esilaba.

He also hailed the leadership of head coach Carlos Katywa, his captains George Nyambua and Eugene Sifuna, Ntabeni Dukisa and Teddy Akala, among other senior players.

Nyambua said the high-performance structure at Kabras Sugar will sustain the club’s dominance for years to come.

“We have done a five-peat. We are now looking for the sixth. We are not just talking about it,” said Nyambua, adding that everyone is working hard from their sponsors, management, technical bench and players.

Nyambua said that their training was tough with a high professional approach.

“Typically, we have three training sessions in a day for four days that entail strength and conditioning, and skill work,” said Nyambua.

The club also has a strong technical bench of backs coaches Ntabeni Dukisa, Lee Arstone and Geoffrey Messo and forwards coach Thomas Simuyu to work on the boys.

Katywa said they will abide by what their fans have demanded and continue dominating the game in the country.

Katywa said they now want to become the most dominant club in Kenya Cup history.

“We have been given names here at the forest like the lion, buffalo and leopard but are not content with the five titles. We want to achieve what no other team has and that is why we shall go hard next year for a sixth,” said Katywa.

The South African coach said that pioneering players like Nyambua and Tanga deserved a place in history after the sacrifices they had made for the team.

Also read: Kenya has plenty of talent at the junior level, says Kasuku

Katywa said his push for integration and succession is what will keep Kabras Sugar ahead of the pack.

“Squads will always age but I don’t want a situation where we start to rebuild. We aim to have bases that will produce new players every year. We must be on top of the food chain to succeed,” said Katywa.

Katywa said that it will take a team with special qualities to match what Kabras Sugar have achieved in recent times.

So what is their secret?

“It's the culture of brotherhood we have managed to cultivate in Kakamega," Katywa simply said.

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