Menengai Oilers target Quins scalp in Floodies semis
By Alex Njue, October 5, 2019
Menengai Oilers have promised another upset as they take on Kenya Harlequins in the semi-finals of the 38th edition of the Impala Floodlit tournament at Impala Club Saturday.
Oliers recorded the shock result of the quarter-final round last weekend when they handed hosts and 2016 winners Impala Saracens a narrow 26-23 defeat and buoyed by that victory, the Nakuru-based side want to claim another major scalp.
“Hunger and patience is what kept us calm in the match. Impala constantly posed serious opposition and we needed a penalty in sudden death to win it.
We gave a good account of ourselves even with new faces who had not played competitively since May after the Kenya Cup,” said Oilers coach Gibson Weru.
The match saw new Impala head coach Mitch Ocholla suffer defeat in his first encounter after replacing Frank Ndong, who resigned in a huff last month, and Oilers want to serve the same dose to returning coach Dominique Habimana who replaced Charles Cardovillis in the Harlequins hot seat.
However, the most awaited semi-final tie will pit champions KCB against Homeboyz in what is billed a battle of titans.
KCB brushed aside Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad 53-5 to storm the semis and will take on the deejays who beat Nondescripts 23-14 in the last eight.
Homeboyz coach Simon Odongo says revenge is on their mind as they face a strong KCB side that thrashed them 34-10 at the same stage last season.
“The next match against KCB who are the Floodies and Kenya Cup champions will reveal what needs to be worked on before the new Kenya Cup season starts.
We lost to them 10-3 in the Kenya Cup in April so we are keen to continue from where we left and hope we get it right this time,” said Odongo.