Impala and KCB will do battle at the weekend with a place in the Enterprise Cup final at stake. Nakuru already booked their ticket last weekend with a 38-10 win over Nondies at the NAC. At the same time, both divisions of the Mwamba Cup will be playing out their semi finals.
Impala, who knocked out the defending champions, Mwamba in the quarter finals will be looking to cause another upset here when they host KCB. The gazelles will however be no under dogs in this one as they usually have a way of going round the lions.
Last time these two met in the league, at the same venue, the red shirts were 18-0 winners. They were one of two sides that managed to beat the lions in the league phase. A lot of time has passed since that win and you could say the red shirts have come full circle since then. Until the turn of the year, this was the only win Impala had in the league.
They then put together a string of wins in the new year that saw them finish strongly in the league, in fact they are yet to lose so far this year. With the side now under Eric Situma and the return of players like veteran Moses Kola, and others that were out due to injury, this Impala side a real formidable force.
On their part the lions come into this one off a commanding 36-6 win over Quins in the quarter finals. The side has been in a rich vein of form but have been guilty of giving half-baked performances through the league season, a perfect example is the defeat to Impala. The bankers will have revenge on their minds but will be wary of an Impala side that is definitely tougher than when they last faced off.
These two play a highly tactical game with small margins between the two, in the last three encounters before the 18-0 Impala win, the sides have played out a 15 all draw, 22-10 and 18-6 wins to KCB. The combination of Nato Simiyu and Kola if available will be crucial for the hosts with Ian Minjire who has been recently deployed at Full back also crucial to the gazelles play.
Predominantly it will be a battle of the forwards, with a possible clash between two stalwarts in Dennis Mwanja of KCB and Duncan Ekasi in the red shirt. Impala have had a solid scrum all season and will be looking to their front row which will probably come up against the likes of Edwin Alubaka, George Asin and Steve Wakaya.
It will be a match with some potentially explosive individual battles, Ken Moseti at 12 may be up against former Nairobi School mate George Okowa in mid field. Peter Mutai may come up against long time nemesis Moses Kola, Sammy Oliech up against Jacob Ojee, there’ll be nowhere to hide.
Mwamba Cup
In the Mwamba Cup defending champions KCB Cubs will play Nondies II at the Impala Club with Western Bulls II hosting the CUEA Monks in Kakamega. The Cubs were 35-7 winners the last time these two met in the ESS and will be favourites to go into the final.
The Calves of Western Bulls though heavy favourites to join the cubs, will be wary of a Monks side that edged out Kenya Cup side Eldoret, 15-10 in Eldoret to book this berth.
The second division sees Impala III progress to the final without picking up a ball as they earn a walk over against The Technical University of Mombasa. The third string Impala side will await the winner between Shieywe and Masinde Muliro at the Kakamega High School. When these two met in the opening round of the Nationwide Western Conference, Masinde Muliro were 36-0 winners.
Collated Fixtures :
Impala vs KCB (Impala Club, 4pm)
KCB II vs Nondies II (Impala Club, 2pm)
Western Bulls II vs CUEA Monks (Kakamega High School, 4pm)
Masinde Muliro vs Shieywe (Kakamega High School, 2pm)
KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!!
