Defending champions, NCPB (men) and Nairobi Water (women), began their title defense on a high note, securing victories in their opening matches at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday.
NCPB defeated Black Mamba with a scoreline of 31-24, while Nairobi Water overwhelmed Rangers with an impressive 45-30 win.
Nairobi Water will face their rivals, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), in an eagerly anticipated match on Sunday. NCPB coach, Brian Mathews, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating that the first win gives them an advantage over their competitors as they strive to retain the title.
Cereals captain, Timothy Kirimi, emerged as the top scorer with eight goals for NCPB, while Martin Nguli netted eight goals for Black Mamba.
Despite their loss, Black Mamba captain, Morgan Juma, remained optimistic about their chances and emphasized the importance of winning their next match against General Service Unit (GSU).
In the women’s category, Nairobi Water faced a tough challenge in the first half as they struggled to contain their speedy opponents, trailing 7-4 and 11-9.
However, they rallied back to equalize the score at 13-13 and eventually took the lead at 19-14 by halftime. In the second half, Nairobi Water dominated the game, extending their lead to 28-21 and eventually securing a commanding 45-30 victory.
Brenda Ariviza (9) and Gladys Chillo (7) were the top scorers for Nairobi Water, while Lydia Juma and Diana Barasa found the target seven and six times respectively.
In other matches at the same venue, the KDF men’s team defeated Kenyatta University 37-19, while their women’s team suffered a 29-26 loss against NCPB.
The Super Cup, a pre-season event, features the top four women’s teams and the top six men’s teams from the regular season.
The men’s teams competing in the tournament include NCPB, KDF, GSU, Black Mamba, Strathmore University, and Kenyatta University, while the women’s category features Nairobi Water, KDF, NCPB, and Rangers.
Upcoming Fixtures (All matches at Nyayo National Stadium):
Sunday
- GSU vs. Black Mamba (Men) at 10 am
- NCPB vs. Rangers (Women) at 11:30 am
- Strathmore vs. Kenyatta University (Men) at 1 pm
- KDF vs. Nairobi Water (Women) at 2:30 pm.
