MMUST host Strathmore Leos as Kenya Cup enter penultimate stage

MMUST RFC team. [Washington Onyango,Standard]

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST RFC) will on Saturday host rivals Strathmore Leos in a penultimate Kenya Cup match set to be played at Nandi Bears Club.

MMUST and Strathmore are tied on 22 points heading into the last week of the 2021 regular season and a win for either side will increase their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.

Speaking to the Standard Sports, MMUST assistant coach John Asila said they are ready for the game and are eying a maiden playoff position in their first year in the top flight league.

“We started the season the back foot but have since picked up along the way despite the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the game for some time.”

“We are now set and have been preparing for this game which was postponed from July and we are confident of collecting maximum points,”Asila said.

However, the fixture pitting MMUST and Strathmore is still marred with controversies after new fixtures were released on Friday morning pitting Leos with Mwamba and MMUST resting, a decision Leos coach Louis Kisia disagreed with.

Leos head coach Louis Kisia said they were in Kapsabet when they received the second communication which he termed unfair and illegal as they had spent money on pre-game preparations to play away from Nairobi.

“We can't make it back to Nairobi and play another fixture after travelling to the venue of our match against MMUST. The playoffs are around the corner and someone is trying to fix the game which is unacceptable. The union needs to look into this and find the way forward,” Kisia said.

Strathmore in the new fixtures have been scheduled to play Mwamba RFC at RFUEA grounds in Nairobi, a confusion KRU Secretary-General Ian Mugambi said they will deliberate and give way forward later.

“It is true we had released fixtures pitting MMUST and Leos but there was a very late change. For now we have nothing to say but we will give way forward,” said Mugambi.

MMUST and Strathmore managements have said they will honor the earlier released fixture.