Mwathi lauds "tight defense" as Equity edge NCPB in Super Cup final

Equity handball men’s coach Peter Mwathi says his tight defense was pivotal to their Super Cup win on Sunday, after edging National Cereals and Produce Board (N.C.P.B) 29-30 at Ulinzi Sports Complex.

N.C.P.B came out with energy and determination, aiming to assert their dominance early on, but Equity’s defense responded firmly.

By halftime, the scoreboard read 12-15 in favor of Equity, and Mwathi knows it would have been a different story had they not defended well.

"What works for me is the defense. Even the top coaches competing against us know what works for Mwathi is defense. Even when you look at the league standings, we are among the teams you’ll find conceding the least.

“This means we make a lot of investment in defense, and I always tell the boys a good defense will win you championships; attack can only win you a match," Mwathi averred.

NCBP coach Bryan Matthews, knows there is more work to do in their attack if they are to slay their rivals next time.

"Today our attack didn't work so well. We were good in defense, but in attack, we were not that well coordinated. They capitalised on that, and that's why we lost the tournament. However, the good thing is that we took home the league title unbeaten, so we have something to smile about," he noted.

Meanwhile, Ulinzi Sharks completed a successful double against Nairobi Water to win women's Super Cup with a 29-26 victory, at the same venue.

Ulinzi Sharks head coach Antony Oduol hailed the team for the win, saying they played to the plan.

"My game plan was simple, avoiding turnovers and be fast during our game plays. Congratulations to the girls for the win and doing everything we had planned coming into this match. We have seen our potential is big if play as a team, and now we are getting where we would want to be as a team," observed Oduol.

On his part, Nairobi Water head coach Jack Ochieng blamed injuries in his squad for the loss.

"We have a couple of players who are out with injuries; the likes of captain Gladys Chile and Michelle Ariviza among others. You could see we were were lacking in some elements but we appreciate the way the players have played. They have played their hearts out and it’s just unfortunate we lost today," said Ochieng.

"Moving forward to the next season, the fans will see us where the team is supposed to be. We are really sorry for today's loss," he added.