Impala face Quins in Ngong road derby

Kenya Cup have announced changes to kick-off times for weekend league fixtures.

According to a statement, five matches which were scheduled to start at 4pm and the Ngong Road Derby which was set for 6pm will all start at 3pm. This means that the Eric Shirley Shield matches will start at 1pm.

The changes are due to the heavy rains being witnessed in the country. The Kenya Cup match pitting Nondies and Nakuru which was to kick off at 4pm at Impala Club has also been moved to Nondies homeground-Jamhuri Park.

“As a result, Saturday’s Kenya Cup and KRU Championship fixtures will all kick off at 3pm while the Eric Shirley Shield reserve league fixtures will now be played at 1pm,” read the statement.

Last weekend’s top-of-the-table clash between champions KCB and Kabras was temporarily halted due to torrential rains and KRU want to avoid a similar scenario.

The match, in which Kabras beat KCB for the first time event in a 19-6 margin, had to be stopped in the 60th minute, with referee Victor Oduor calling it off altogether,  a decision accepted by both teams.

Three derbies are set to light up weekend action. Last weekend saw rugby’s version of the ‘Mashemeji Derby” as Western Bulls prevailed over Kisumu 23-5 in Kakamega.

Saturday will be no different as eternal rivals Resolution Impala Saracens host Kenya Harlequin in yet another instalment of the Ngong Road Derby.  

The Saracens come into this derby clash placed fourth on the log with 20 points coming off four wins and two losses. They are in better health than their next door neighbors who haven’t had the best of starts to the season, registering one win and five losses in their six outings to date, an outcome that sees them placed ninth on the log with seven points.  

Despite their current run of form, it is Quins who come into this fixture having won their last two league encounter, a streak that Impala will be out to stop. These two sides last met in Kenya Cup action during the Top Six playoffs on Saturday 27 April 2019, Quins just shading Impala 29-24 to reach the league semis where they fell 46-13 to eventual winners KCB.  

Over in Kakamega, the Ingo Derby returns for the first time since the 2016/17 season when current leaders Kabras Sugar take on town rivals Western Bulls at the Moi Showground. Both sides warmed up for this encounter in style, Kabras ending an 11-match winless streak against KCB with an authoritative 19-6 defeat of the current champions while eighth placed Bulls ensured that they remained unbeaten in the Kenya Cup, posting a 23-5 result in what was only the second ever top tier clash between the two sides.