Defending champions KCB and Menengai Oilers will face off in the pick of the fixtures as the Kenya Cup enters match day 9 on Saturday 12 February 2022.
Both sides come into this tie in fine form, KCB currently placed second with 36 points off 7 wins and 1 draw while Oilers are third, just three points adrift after notching up 7 wins and that solitary defeat to leaders Kabras Sugar a fortnight ago.
With playoff qualification already in the bag, the outcome of this fixture could determine who secures a home semifinal on March 5.
For KCB, they began the calendar year well, looking imperious in victories against Impala, Nondescripts and Masinde Muliro before Kenya Harlequin and Mwamba posed serious questions to the bankers, something that Head Coach Curtis Olago will be keen to rectify ahead of Saturday’s clash at home to the Oilers.
For Gibson Weru’s Oilers, they are, by their own standards, and in the eyes of many an outsider, having a blinder of a season and will look to recover from that blip against Kabras Sugar to pick up their first ever Kenya Cup win over KCB.
This match will definitely be one to keep tabs on.
Over at the Kenyatta University, perennial relegation escape artists Blak Blad must pull a rabbit out of the hat when they face Kenya Harlequin. Much as the varsity students are placed seventh with 14 points, the gap between them and second from bottom Resolution Impala Saracens is only four points. A loss for the varsity side could see them slip into the relegation zone with a few games to spare.
Quins too, will be out to avoid any errors against a Blak Blad side that can punish the opponent on a good day. The eight time Kenya Cup champions head into this clash placed sixth on 15 points and will look to leave the Blad Bin unscathed.
Former champions Topfry Nakuru looked dead and buried just a month ago but back to back victories over Impala and Nondescripts have lifted them out of the relegation, barely.
They face a difficult opponent in Masinde Muliro, a side that will come at them all afternoon. This is a match that the 2013 and 2014 Kenya Cup champions must win as they seek to maintain their league status. The students from Masinde Muliro are capable of pulling off an upset and will be looking to do exactly that when they step on to the Nakuru Athletic Club turf on Saturday afternoon.
Homeboyz and ten time champions Resolution Impala Saracens will get the day’s action with the early kickoff at Ruaraka. This is another crunch tie as the Sarries sit in eleventh place on 10 points, just one behind ninth placed Homeboyz. There are three rather straightforward outcomes from this game. A win of any kind for the Sarries sees them usurp the deejays in the standings. A draw or loss maintains the status quo. There is all to play for, league points, Kenya Cup status et al.
Kevin Wambua’s Mwamba showed a lot of grit and determination when they ran KCB close, eventually going 39-30 in a rescheduled fixture last weekend. They will need to put on a similar display when they take on bottom of the table Nondescripts at the Jamhuri Park.
17 time Kenya Cup Champions Nondescripts, an ever present fixture in the country’s top tier are facing the battle of their lives and will certainly take no prisoners when they take on Mwamba.
Over in Kakamega, leaders Kabras Sugar are at home to fourth placed Strathmore Leos who have done just enough to return to the playoffs for a second season in succession.
Match Day 9 Fixtures, Saturday 12 February 2022
Homeboyz v Resolution Impala Saracens | 1pm | KCB Sports Club | Nairobi | Live
KCB v Menengai Oilers | 3pm | KCB Sports Club | Nairobi | Live
Mwamba v Nondescripts | 3pm | Jamhuri Park | Nairobi
Blak Blad v Kenya Harlequin | 3pm | Kenyatta University | Nairobi
Topfry Nakuru v Masinde Muliro | 3pm | Nakuru Athletic Club | Nakuru
Kabras Sugar v Strathmore Leos | 3pm | Kakamega Showground | Kakamega