Oilers aim to end Kabras’ sugar rush in epic Kenya Cup final showdown

Menengai Oilers head coach Gibson Weru says his team has intensified preparations ahead of their highly anticipated Kenya Cup final clash with archrivals Kabras Sugar this Saturday at the ASK Showground in Kakamega.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Weru insists his side will not be intimidated by Kabras, who remain unbeaten in all competitions this season.

He says Oilers are determined to give their all and end Kabras’ three-year reign in the tournament.

“The set pieces have to be stable because that is where everything starts, and definitely our defense has to be resolute, effective and disciplined to be able to deal with them,” said Weru.

In the regular season, Kabras had to stage a comeback to edge out a 14-man Oilers side 20-14.

Weru says the team has learned from that experience and is now focused on delivering a strong performance in the showdown, famously dubbed the “Rai Derby.”

“They are a well composed team, very experienced across all departments; that makes it hard to choose any area that they are weak at. Like 90 percent of their team play for the Simbas squad so they know each other very well. So if we can find any area that we can use our running and kicking it will be a good thing,” noted Weru.

The two teams last met in the final in 2022, when Kabras again came from behind to seal a 34-28 victory and their second Kenya Cup title.

Weru believes the gap between the two sides has narrowed, and his team is ready to prove it.

“We have narrowed down the gap between us and them since we last played in the final a few years ago, and from what we saw in the regular season where we were 14 up against them and gave them a hard time, I see some very exciting moments on Saturday,” stated Weru, a former Kenya international.