Play-off, relegation fights as curtains fall on Kenya Cup league

Action between Kabras Sugar and Mwamba RFC in a Kenya Cup match at the Railway Ground on January 14, 2017. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – The curtains fall on the league phase of the 2016/17 Kenya Cup with the final round of matches taking place this weekend across six venues in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kakamega.

The top two teams at the close of league play will get byes to the semis on Saturday 8 April with the teams in positions 3 to 6 battling it out for semifinal qualification during next weekend’s Top 6 playoffs.

Leaders Menengai Cream Homeboyz host eighth placed Nondescripts at the Jamhuri Park. Both teams won their last fixtures with Homeboyz beating Nakuru 44-17 at the Nakuru Athletic Club while Nondies subjected Mean Machine to a 39-12 drubbing at the Jamhuri Park last weeken

Second placed KCB already assured of a playoff berth host sixth placed playoff chasers Mwamba at the Lion’s Den.

This is for all intents and purposes the match of the round. Both teams badly needing the win.

KCB’s reasons for chasing the result are pegged on the fact that a win assures them of semifinal qualification. Mwamba on the other hand must win and hope that Nakuru falter against relegation threatened Mean Machine.

Third placed Sportpesa Quins host ninth placed Strathmore Leos at the RFUEA grounds.

Quins need the win, coupled with a KCB loss to finish the regular season in the top two, and with it automatic semifinal qualification.

The Leos on the other hand are safe from the jitters of relegation but done with contending for post season action.

Champions Kabras Sugar lie fifth on the log but through to the playoffs and certainly have their sights set on a successful title defense. They face Western Bulls in the “Ingo Derby”.

Bulls, ever present since their promotion in the 2012/13 season come into this tie sitting second from bottom and must win while counting on Blak Blad to falter against Impala if they are to retain their top tier status for another season.

Top Fry Nakuru lie seventh on the log and must win against bottom placed Mean Machine while counting on Mwamba to falter against KCB.

That is the only way they can reach the playoffs. A win for Machine will be good for their ego, the only query is whether it will be good enough to keep them in the Kenya Cup for yet another season.

The last fixture on the cards pits Resolution Impala Saracens against Blak Blad at the Impala Club.

Fixtures:

SportPesa Quins v Strathmore Leos – 4.00pm – RFUEA

Kabras Sugar v Western Bulls – 4.00pm – Kakamega Showground

Top Fry Nakuru v Mean Machine – 4.00pm – Nakuru Athletic Club

Resolution Impala Saracens v Blak Blad – 4.00pm – Impala Club

Menengai Cream Homeboyz v Nondescripts – 4.00pm – Jamhuri Park

KCB v Mwamba – 4.00pm – KCB Sports Club

Top Six Playoffs – Saturday 1 April 2017

Semis – Saturday 8 April 2017

Final – Saturday 22 April 2017

-Kenya Cup Official Website-