The Menengai Oilers Cheetahs clinched their third Rugby Super Series title with an 18-11 victory over the KCB Bank Lions on a gripping Saturday at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.
The win adds to the Cheetahs’ previous victories in 2004 and 2006 and comes under the stewardship of assistant coach Lawrence Buyachi.
The match began with high tension as the Cheetahs’ Quinto Ongo narrowly missed an early penalty. Despite being reduced to 14 men due to Emmanuel Mboya’s dismissal, the Cheetahs displayed remarkable tenacity, eventually gaining the lead with Ongo’s boot making it 6-3.
The Lions’ Levy Amunga failed to convert a penalty, which allowed the Cheetahs to maintain their slender lead. The second half saw the Lions initially surge ahead with a try from Givens Oduor and a conversion by Amunga for a 10-6 lead.
However, the Cheetahs, undeterred, struck back with Felix Odhiambo’s try flipping the score to 10-11 in their favor. A further attempt by Dennis Abukuse to extend the lead was thwarted, but Ibrahim Oyoo’s decisive try ultimately sealed the win for the Cheetahs.
The match was a testament to the Cheetahs’ solid defense against the Lions’ persistent attacks, culminating in an 18-11 triumph that cements their legacy in the Rugby Super Series. Meanwhile, the Rhinos conceded a walkover to the Kabras Buffaloes in the third-place playoffs.
Reported By Brian Mwenje
