Kenya Cup: Oilers stun KCB to face Kabras
KCB will blame themselves after falling to the Menengai Oilers in the 2021/22 Kenya Cup semi-final at home on Saturday.
The Bankers gave away eight penalties and failed to execute enough points as Oilers slotted in all their 24 points thanks to their playmaker Geoffrey Ominde who termed kicking as an art shortly after he gave his side their maiden cup final appearance after a memorable first 24-17 win - their first against KCB at their Ruaraka backyard.
“Kicking is an art because it’s either you slot in or miss and I am glad my boot was at its best form. The win is too big for us, and it has come at the right time and now we look forward to an electric final against Kabras. My work was very easy because it was a team effort and I credit all the players for a commendable job,” Ominde told People Sports. His head coach Gibson Weru is glad the team that is just seven-years-old has made a very positive impression in the top-flight league after three seasons of participation. On Saturday the team proved they did not need a try to win the away match.
The club made their first appearance in Kenya Cup in the 2018/19 season and finished eighth above Homeboyz and Blak Blad before upping their game to finish sixth in 2019/20 but the emergence of coronavirus pandemic put paid to their wait to taste the playoffs as the season was cancelled.
The team, however, returned stronger and finished fourth last season after losing 35-17 to KCB.
“The boys were very courageous. They put their bodies on the line and competed well in the set pieces,” Oilers coach Weru told People Sports.
“For the past four weeks we have been looking at how we can beat KCB. We looked into their weaknesses, their strengths and now we have a few days to look at how we can beat Kabras. It’s possible because it’s a team with the same kind of game, very physical and we plan to give them the right contest to get our results.”
Oilers drew first blood with two successive penalties that were beaten by a converted try by KCB’s Darwin Mukidza but the hosts failed to keep their visitors under the right pressure .
In the other semi-final Kabras won their match 29-9 thanks to four tries and three penalties whilst conceding just three penalties against Strathmore.
Barry Robinson, Teddy Akala, Jone Kubu and Brian Tanga scored a try each while Ntabeni Dukisa and Tanga assumed the kicking role with Andrew Matoka slotting the three penalties for the students.
It will be an interesting cup final where Kabras hopes to lift the title on home ground for the first time despite featuring in all the finals since 2014. Kabras won the 2015/16 edition after they clawed Impala in Nairobi.
Kenya cup semis results
KCB 17-24 Menengai Oilers
Kabras 29-9 Strathmore
