KCB’s Stanley Abaka attempts to move away from Kabras players during their Kenya Cup match at the Impala Sports Club on February 24, 2019. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – The Kenya Cup’s two most consistent and dominant sides over the past few seasons KCB and Kabras Sugar will clash this weekend in another instalment of the never-ending tussle between the two giants.
The two who have clashed in the play-off final for four seasons since 2015 will once again take aim at each other’s bosoms when they clash at the Lion’s Den in Ruaraka on Saturday.
As was the case last season, it is Kabras who are looking ominous heading into this fixture, hardly putting a foot wrong in dominating their opposition, averaging 51 points a match.
They have seen off all opposition to date in clinical fashion and lead the log with five bonus point wins from five outings, accumulating 25 points in the process.
While they share an identical record with defending champions KCB, it is their massive +112 difference that sees them placed ahead of KCB on the log.
KCB’s Oscar Sorano tries to find a way past a loaded Homeboyz defense during their Kenya Cup match on November 23, 2019. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
KCB on the other hand have appeared to be going about their business in a rather measured way.
While they have amassed an equal number of wins and bonus points as Kabras, they have given their fans some hair-raising moments on the odd occasion.
They cruised into a 29-3 half time lead against Kenya Harlequin in match day one action, eventually pulling off the 32-20 result only after Quins had reduced the deficit to nine points after rallying to 29-20 at a point of that fixture.
They then found themselves trailing 14-8 during the half time of last weekend’s home fixture against Homeboyz. They turned things around in the second half to first lead 27-14 before the deejays scored two late tries, KCB hanging on for the 27-24 result.
Despite the two sides’ contrasting fortunes at the top of the table, it is worth nothing that Kabras are yet to beat KCB in ten previous encounters since earning promotion to the top tier in 2014.
KCB’s Tony Onyango shoves aside Kabras Sugar’s Paul Abuto during the Kenya Cup final at the Kakamega Showground on May 18, 2019. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
They have come agonizingly close, playing out a 15-15 draw at the Kakamega Showground on December 3, 2016. There were also those two Kenya Cup finals in 2018 and 2019 where they fell 29-24 and 23-18 respectively.
A win for Kabras on Saturday will not only see them finally get one over KCB, but certainly put them in good stead to again host this season’s title decider later on in the season.
The hosts KCB will be out to take pole position as the league campaign draws on, they will be out to pull this off by looking a sixth successive win since that 15-15 draw against Kabras in December 2016.
Previous Results
8 Nov 2014: KCB 13 Kabras Sugar 3 (KCB Sports Club)
14 March 2015: KCB 27 Kabras Sugar 3 (Kenya Cup Final, RFUEA)
19 December 2015: KCB 40 Kabras Sugar 15 (Railway Club, Nairobi)
3 December 2016: Kabras Sugar 15 KCB 15 (Kakamega Showground)
28 January 2017: KCB 22 Kabras Sugar 17 (KCB Sports Club)
Saturday 22 April 2017: KCB 36 Kabras Sugar 8 (Kenya Cup Final, KCB Sports Club)
Saturday 24 February 2017: KCB 41 Kabras Sugar 12 (KCB Sports Club)
24 March 2018: KCB 29 Kabras Sugar 24 (Kenya Cup Final, KCB Sports Club)
23 February 2019: KCB 44 Kabras Sugar 20 (Impala Club)
18 May 2019: Kabras Sugar 15 KCB 23 (Kenya Cup Final, Kakamega)
–Courtesy KRU
