Kenya Cup match day five is here with us and there are two highlight fixtures to look forward to. Second placed defending champions KCB and third placed Homeboyz face off at the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka. The two sides come into the fixture with identical records, each one have won their four fixtures to date but it is the bankers placed above Homeboyz by way of more bonus point victories.
While it is expected of KCB to be at the league’s summit, Homeboyz have quietly gone about their business, racking up the wins as they seek to atone for last season’s misadventure that saw them fail to reach the playoffs.
Matches between the two sides have always been quite the contest, and Saturday’s fixture in Ruaraka should be no different. KCB come into this clash having won their last three league encounters against their opponents. They will be keen to keep their unbeaten record by avoiding defeat against the deejays whose last victory over the bankers was a 33-24 result on 18 February 2017. The two sides warmed up for this encounter in victorious fashion, KCB winning 43-13 away to the Menengai Oilers in Nakuru as Homeboyz stopped Western Bulls 36-17 in Nairobi.
Kenya Harlequin and Menengai Oilers meet for only the third time ever in the Kenya Cup. The first encounter ended 14-8 to Oilers in Nakuru on Saturday 24 November 2018 before the two sides battled to a 22-22 draw in the return fixture at the RFUEA on Saturday 16 March 2019.
Quins have had a far from ideal start to the season, winless four matches into the campaign and occupying last position. They have twice blown away healthy first half leads in the 21-19 loss to Western Bulls and last weekend’s 25-18 defeat to Nakuru. They will need to fire on all cylinders, and for the entire eighty minutes if they are to break the Oilers hoodoo and register a first win this season, a result that could potentially lift them off the league’s basement.
The Oilers were subjected to their second loss of the campaign last when they fell 43-13 at home to KCB and Saturday’s match at the RFUEA not only gives them an opportunity to bounce back to form, but also gives them the chance to maintain their unbeaten patch against Quins.
Tenth placed Western Bulls and ninth placed Top Fry Nakuru duel at The Bullring in Kakamega. The sides registered contrasting results last weekend, Bulls going down 36-17 to Homeboyz as Nakuru’s second half rally saw them score 22 unanswered points to beat Quins 25-18 and climb out of the bottom two. The Bulls are a potential banana peel for the Wanyore who will have to be at their sharpest against a side that has the potential to claim their scalp.
Stanbic Mwamba ran Resolution Impala Saracens close last weekend, eventually falling to a 26-24 defeat. They host Nondescripts at their Nairobi Railway Club locale seeking to bounce back and stay in the hunt for playoff qualification and title contention at the close of the regular season. Nondescripts were on the receiving end of a 40-15 home defeat to Kabras Sugar last weekend and like Mwamba, will be out to bounce back as the job of securing playoff qualification gradually begins to intensify.
Kisumu will be at home to Resolution Impala Saracens at the Mamboleo Showground in Kisumu as leaders Kabras Sugar host Blak Blad at the Kakamega Showground.
