Two time champions Top Fry Nakuru and 2013 runners up Strathmore Leos are by their standards, enduring a lukewarm league campaign this season.
Nakuru, who beat the Leos 39-3 to claim their maiden Kenya Cup title in 2013 currently sit sixth on the log with 26 points off five wins, a draw and three losses.
Once invincible at their Nakuru Athletic Club backyard, two of Wanyore’s defeats this season have come at home, falling 15-19 to Kabras Sugar on 26 November 2016 and 10-28 to KCB on 14 January 2017 and Enos Otieno’s side will be out to restore that aura of invincibility at their home venue,and with the Leos as an opponent.. what better to do so.
The hosts interestingly enough come into this tie off a good run, posting back to back wins away against Kabras Sugar (19-17 on Saturday 21 January) and Western Bulls (33-20 on Saturday 28 January) and should use this vein of run to subdue the Leos by avenging last season’s 15-10 away loss and maintain their quest for a return to the top six playoffs. Geoff Ominde has been an important player for the Wanyore thus far and will again be called on to pull the strings, liaising with a supporting cast that includes the evergreen Edwins Makori, Philip Kwame as well as the fast rising Henry Ayah.
Mitch Ocholla’s Leos are further down the log in ninth with 11 points off two wins and seven defeats but one would be warned against writing them off. The Leos need positive results, and not just performances. They still, at this point of the season, have AN OUTSIDE CHANCE of reaching the playoffs and cannot afford any slip ups in Nakuru. They will again look to the likes Churchill Ooko, Ian Lumwaji, Michael Gitau and Brian Nyikuli as their quest to climb up the table continues.