Kenya cup semifinals, venues ahead of much awaited fixtures

Kenya Cup defending champions Kabras Sugar will this weekend play host to Kenya Harlequins in the much-awaited playoff set to be staged at the famous Kakamega grounds.
Kabras are unbeaten this season having gone past their rivals KCB RFC 29-23 at the KCB Sports Club grounds, Nairobi.

Quins have turnaround their fortunes under the close tutelage of Paul Murunga with their 32-18 win over Varsity side Strathmore Leos at the RFUEA grounds indicating how lethal the Ngong road-based side could pose to the defending champions heading to the Semifinals.

Quins lost their opening three matches but bounced back to win the next eight to finish fourth on the log with 37 points.

The eight-time Kenya Cup champions were aided immensely by the mid-season transfer period in January, signing experienced players that have since turned around the mood in the changing room.

In another semifinal fixture, KCB RFC will be up against Menengai Oilers in Nairobi as the Curtis Olago-coached side seeks to replicate their heroics two weeks ago in Nakuru.

KCB won the fixture 62- 15 in a one-sided fixture with Kenya International Darwin Mukidza showcasing a man-of-the-match performance.

Despite losing to rivals Kabras, the bankers have been strong contenders winning 10 games out of 11 fixtures played and heading to the semifinals the Olago-coached side will be weary of the mistakes they made a season ago that cost them the coveted title.

Heading to the Oilers fixture, Olago will be buoyed by the match fitness of his players like Andrew Amonde, Darwin Mukidza, and Bob Muhati who have been instrumental in their quest to reclaim the title they lost to the Sugarmen.

The playoffs come after the conclusion of the Kenyan Cup regular league at the weekend, with Kabras topping the standings, one slot above second-place finishers KCB.

At the same time the KRU Championship semis pit Nondescripts against South Coast Pirates at the Ngong Road Racecourse while the Daystar Falcons host Kisumu at Strathmore University.

Nondies will be hoping to get back to the top tier for the very first time of asking when they take on the Mombasa-based side who have been on form heading to the playoffs.

The 17-time Kenya cup champions managed to give themselves a chance of regaining immediate promotion back to the Kenya Cup after finishing top in the Championship ahead of Daystar Falcons, Kisumu, and South Coast Pirates who are the other three teams to book their tickets to the semifinals.

In the Eric Shirley pairing, KCB will go head-to-head with Menengai Oilers at the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka while Kabras will face a litmus test against Kenya Harlequins, at the Kakamega Showground.

The Shirley matches will kick off at 1 pm, paving the way for the Kenya Cup semis that are set to kick off at 3 pm.