KCB, Kabras renew rivalry in Kakamega with 23/24 Kenya Cup title on the line
6th April 2024
The match will kick off at 3 PM at the Kakamega Showground.
- This will be the seventh Kenya Cup final between the two sides in the history of the competition.
- KCB head coach Curtis Aluoch Olago has won five Kenya Cup titles with KCB.
- Constant Cap is expected to officiate the blockbuster tie with Duncan Kioko and Victor Oduor serving as his assistants.
The stage is set for rugby heavyweights Kabras Sugar and KCB
Rugby Club to clash in a mouthwatering 2024 Kenya Cup final on Saturday
evening.
The eagerly anticipated clash which is scheduled to kick off
at 3 PM is going to be the seventh final between the two sides since they first
met in 2015.
Overall, Kabras Sugar and KCB have faced each other 17 times
in the history of the tournament with the Bankers triumphing on 11 occasions.
One of those matches ended in a draw.
The most recent encounter between the two clubs which was
played on Saturday, March 9, 2024 ended 14-10 in favor of Kabras Sugar.
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Kabras Sugar’s George Nyambua and his KCB counterpart Darwin
Mukidza are some of the most experienced players in the two teams.
Mukidza has made a total of six final appearances while
Nyambua has been in Kabras Sugar’s squad in all the nine finals they have
qualified for since the club’s inception.
Kabras are the favorites going into the match which will be
staged at the Kakamega Showground due to the excellent form they have had since
the start of the campaign.
The Carlos Katywa-coached side have not lost a single match in
the last two seasons and now also have a more experienced squad compared to
their rivals.
Katywa revealed ahead of the match that they have done
enough preparation, and they are raring to go on Saturday.
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“Looking at our previous games you know. I think each coach
has gone and sat down and looked at the videos and seen the strengths and
weaknesses of each team. I think for us, we have gone deeper. We have actually
gone and looked at trends and I think we have found a little bit because they
don’t expose quite a lot in terms of weaknesses.
They have got quite a lot of strengths and I think, it is
one of the few things that drives us into why we want to win this because we
are playing the best. KCB is the best and I think they set a standard that all
of us in the Kenya Cup want to achieve. So, that is a nutshell of our season
and what we expect this weekend,” stated the South African coach.
On the other hand, KCB go into the tie with the memories of
last year’s painful defeat fresh on their minds.
The Bankers will be seeking to avenge the 19-9 defeat they
suffered at the hands of Kabras in the 2023 final which was staged at the same
venue.
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Speaking ahead of the clash, KCB assistant coach Dennis
Mwanja was optimistic of his side emerging victorious.
“We are looking forward to a very competitive game and it is
more of a psychological game. We are getting our confidence in the fact that we
are on an upward trend. We have been building. We have a young squad but it is
a mixture of youth and experience.
So we are quite confident, and looking forward to the
encounter. We are going to encounter a very physical Kabras side and when we
talk of the physicality they bring on board, we also have enough physicality to
match,” he commented.
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Here are the squads for the Kenya Cup final
Kabras Sugar
1. Emmanuel Otieno 2. Eugene Sifuna 3. Asuma Mugerwa 4.
David Bunduki 5. Brian Juma 6. George Nyambua (C) 7. Kelvin Wekesa 8. Gabriel
Adero 9. Brian Tanga 10. Barry Robinson 11. Lamec Ambetsa 12. Walter Okoth 13.
Bryceson Adaka 14. Alfred Orege 15. Ntabeni Dukisa Reserves: 16. Teddy Akala
17. Edward Mwaura 18. Ephraim Oduor 19. Hillary Odhiambo 20. William Mwanjii
21. Patrick Lumumba 22. Jeanson Misoga 23. Brian Mutua
KCB Rugby Club
1. Oscar Simiyu 2. Griffin Musila (C) 3. Wilhite Mususi 4. Emanuel Silungi 5. Andycole Omollo 6. Elvis Olukusi 7. Felix Ojow 8. Kolian Persian 9. Samuel Asati 10. Levi Amunga 11. Austin Sikutwa 12. Bob Muhati 13. Vincent Onyala 14. Michael Wamalwa 15. Darwin Mukidza Reserves 16. Fidel Maina 17. Patrick Ouko 18. Nelson Nyandat 19. Davis Chenge 20. Peter Waitere 21. Brian Wahinya 22. Festus Shiasi 23. Peter Kilonzo.
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