Kabras Sugar face Impala test in Kenya Cup action

John Okoth (Left) of Top Fry Nakuru RFC battles for the ball with Timoce Sinaite of Kabras Sugar during the Kenya Cup match played at Nakuru Athletics Club in Nakuru on January 11, 2019. [Photo: Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

Kabras Sugar will be seeking to complete a league double over Impala Saracens when the sides face off in a Kenya Cup round 14 fixture at the Impala Club today.

The first leg clash between the sides ended in a 25-3 victory for the sugar millers in November last year and Henly Du Plessis’ men will be looking to prove that the win at the Kakamega Showground was no fluke.

So far, the Kakamega side, which leads the 12-team standings with 60 points, is the only team assured of finishing in the top two, a feat which will see them receive a bye to the semi-finals after the conclusion of the regular season.

Unlike Kabras who are having a good season, Impala, under the tutelage of Mitch Ocholla, are having a far from impressive campaign if their lofty standards is anything to go by.

Impala head into today’s match having lost to lowly Blak Blad in their last Kenya Cup outing and they will be eager to bounce back against a tough opponent as the race for the playoffs gathers momentum.

Ocholla’s charges are currently fourth on the standings having collected points and with three matches remaining in the regular season, any further slip-ups could see the Ngong Road-based side miss out on the knockout stage of the competition.

At the same time, two play-off chasing clubs Menengai Oilers and Homeboyz will face off at the Moi Showground in Nakuru with Oilers coach Gibson Weru labeling the fixture as a must win for his team.

“It will be a tough game because Homeboyz have the momentum and they are a quality side. The positive thing is that we have grown since we last faced them in the first leg and the match on Saturday (today) will be a different one,” Weru said.

“We are aware that it is a game which will play a huge role in determining whether we reach the playoffs or not,” he added.

According to Weru, last weekend’s loss to Kabras in the Enterprise Cup round of 16 gave his team enough motivation to bounce back today.

Oilers have been boosted by the return of a number of their key players including loose forward Dalmus Chituyi who is expected to come up against his former side Homeboyz.

The first leg meeting pitting Homeboyz against Oilers ended 25-20 in favour of the Deejays who are third on the Kenya Cup standings.

Defending champions KCB will also be in Nakuru to face Nakuru RFC as they keep the chase on league leaders Kabras.

Meanwhile, former Wallaby Israel Folau said yesterday he had thought about retiring after he was sacked last May by Rugby Australia over a homophobic social media post.

Folau, 30, who scored 37 tries in 73 Test appearances, is set to make his debut for rugby league side Catalans Dragons this weekend.