NAIROBI – There are three matches left in the Kenya Cup’s regular season and while four teams, namely Kabras Sugar, KCB, Homeboyz and Resolution Impala Saracens are all but assured of a place in the playoffs, there remains a frantic battle to fill the final two playoff slots.
Leaders Kabras Sugar have done enough to secure home semifinal qualification for a second successive season. Their last three fixtures pit them away to Resolution Impala Saracens before winding up with fixtures against Nondescripts (home) and Blak Blad (away). Second placed defending champions KCB have potentially tricky encounters that could yet put paid to their home semifinal ambitions. They play away to Top Fry Nakuru before taking on Menengai Oilers (home) and Homeboyz (away). Victory in all three fixtures will guarantee them a top two finish, but more importantly home semifinal qualification. Homeboyz are third, just five points adrift of home semifinal qualification. Their last three fixtures see them face Menengai Oilers (away), Western Bulls (away) and KCB (home). They can secure the semifinal berth by winning all three matches including their encounter against KCB while hoping that the same opponents lose at least two of their three remaining matches. This would see the deejays accumulate anything between 66 and 69 points with KCB securing anything between 63 and 66 points. Resolution Impala Saracens are currently on 41 points. Their last three matches see them face Kabras (home), Stanbic Mwamba (away) and Kisumu (home). A simple victory in one of their three remaining fixtures is enough Three teams, namely Menengai Oilers (36 points), Top Fry Nakuru (33 points) and Stanbic Mwamba (29 points. Victory for Oilers in their final three fixtures against Homeboyz (home), KCB (away) and Kenya Harlequin (away) could see them accumulate between 48 and 51 points. One win from these three fixtures could take the Oilers to 40 or 41 points, depending on if it was a bonus point victory. Top Fry Nakuru’s last three fixtures are against KCB (home), Kenya Harlequin (away) and Western Bulls (home). Victory in these three matches could take them to between 45 and 48 points, depending on if it was a bonus point victory. Victory in two of these three outings could take them to between 41 and 43 points. Should they post one victory, they could be anywhere between 37 and 38 points…which may not be good enough should seventh placed Stanbic Mwamba win all their remaining fixtures. Up next for Kulabu are fixtures against Kisumu (away), Resolution Impala Saracens (home) and Nondescripts (away). Should they win all these fixtures, they could be anywhere between 41 and 44 points. Two wins will see them anywhere between 37 and 39 points while a solitary win will do them no favors. The next three match days are certainly worth watching. |
Tag: Resolution Impala Saracens
Enterprise Cup Round of 16 review: Defending champions Kabras Sugar advance
Defending champions Kabras Sugar reached the Enterprise Cup quarterfinal with a 47-19 win over visiting Menengai Oilers as the tournament kicked off with action in the round of 16 stage on Saturday 8 February 2020.
Joining the sugarmen in the last eight were last year’s losing finalists Resolution Impala Saracens who defeated Mean Machine 41-22 at the Impala Club.
2018 Champions Homeboyz registered a 39-13 victory over Kenya Harlequin to advance to the quarters alongside KCB who beat Strathmore Leos 27-3.
Four other sides – Top Fry Nakuru, Stanbic Mwamba, Blak Blad and Nondescripts also reached the quarters without touching a ball after their opponents failed to honor their fixtures.
The subsidiary Mwamba Cup tournament also kicked off on Saturday at the round of 16 stage.
Defending champions Kabras Sugar II also reached the last eight, benefiting from a 28-0 walkover following Northern Suburbs’s no show.
Joining them in the quarters were Stanbic Mwamba II who defeated Daystar Falcons 48-24 while Resolution Impala Saracens II defeated their sister side Swara 36-16. KCB II were 47-5 winners over the Administration Police Warriors while Strathmore Leos II defeated Nondescripts II 22-13.
Menengai Oilers II won on the road, defeating hosts Homeboyz II 27-17 as Shamas Rugby Foundation stopped Kenya Harlequin II 18-13. Top Fry Nakuru II reached the quarters after they were handed a 28-0 walkover against Catholic Monks.
Kabras drawn against Mwamba as Enterprise Cup pairings take shape
Defending champions Kabras Sugar will face Stanbic Mwamba for the third time this season, this time in the Enterprise Cup quarterfinals after both navigated their round of 16 clashes in contrasting fashion.
Kabras defeated Menengai Oilers 47-19 in Kakamega while Mwamba benefited from a 28-0 walkover following Kisumu’s no-show. The two sides have already met twice in the Kenya Cup.
The winner of this fixture will face off against the winner of the Jamhuri Derby between Homeboyz and Nondescripts. Homeboyz were in action on Saturday, beating Kenya Harlequin 39-13 while Nondies were awarded a 28-0 walkover against Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST).
The third quarterfinal pits Resolution Impala Saracens against Top Fry Nakuru. Impala defeated Mean Machine 41-22 in round of 16 action on Saturday while Nakuru received a 28-0 walkover against Mombasa.
The winner of this clash will play against the winner of the KCB – Blak Blad quarterfinal. KCB reached the quarters with a 27-3 victory over Strathmore Leos as Blak Blad received a 28-0 walkover against Western Bulls.
The quarterfinals will be played on Saturday 7 March 2020.