Bulls, Mean Machine lock horns in KRU championship

The race to secure playoff qualification spots continues this weekend in the KRU Championship as the Kenya Cup final goes down in the capital Nairobi.

The highlight of the weekend features former Kenya Cup sides Western Bulls and Mean Machine who will lock horns at the Bullring in Kakamega eyeing returns to the top flight.

Bulls are placed third on 45 points, five adrift second-placed Mean Machine who have a game in hand over their rivals.

Bulls go into the clash on the back of a morale-boosting 31-26 win over Menengai Oilers which represented the log leaders’ only defeat this season.

It is a very even matchup on paper as Mean Machine have also only lost a single match all season, with that defeat coming at the hands of Oilers.

In other games across the country another former Kenya cup side Catholic Monks are at home to Kisumu while Moi University host fourth placed USIU in Eldoret.

South Coast Pirates, winless in their previous two outings in Kakamega and Eldoret plays host to the University of Eldoret Trojans in Ukunda while leaders Menengai Oilers face struggling and wounded JKUAT Cougars in Nakuru as they seek to keep up their remarkable run in the Championship league.

Newly promoted and eighth placed Ngong Warriors and tenth placed Egerton Wasps duelling should also act as a potentially explosive match set to be played at the Kibiko Secondary School.

In the third tier nationwide league sees action take place in different parts of the country.

In Nairobi region the knockout phase comprises of four quarterfinal matches on the cards, with youthful Northern Suburbs taking on Cooperative in an early kickoff at the Catholic University while Technical University of Kenya up against Comras at the same venue.

MKU Stingers play Makueni at the Railway Sports Club while Impala Saracens youthful side Swara take on Daystar Falcons at the Impala Club.

In the Central region the top two teams MKU Thika and Embu RFC will fight it out for the top spot in the Central region and will determine the Central Semi-finals pairings set to be played next weekend.

The leagues clash between both teams will determine who finishes top and second while going to the match MKU Thika are on top with 33 points as Embu follows closely with 31 points.

Chuka Vikings and Kiambu RFC are the other teams from the region to have already sealed third and fourth places respectively awaiting the outcome of this semi-final game.

Whoever between Embu and MKU wins will play Kiambu RFC with second position taking on Chuka Vikings.

KRU Championship

Western Bulls v Mean Machine – The Bullring – 4.00pm

Catholic Monks v Kisumu – Catholic University – 4.00pm

South Coast Pirates v UoE – Ukunda – 4.00pm

Menengai Oilers v JKUAT – Nakuru – 4.00pm

Moi University v USIU – Eldoret – 4.00pm

Ngong Warriors v Egerton Wasps – Kibiko – 4.00pm

Nationwide Nairobi Quarterfinals

TUK v Comras – Catholic University – 11.00am

Northern Suburbs v Cooperative – Catholic University – 1.00pm

MKU Stingerz v Makueni – Railway Club – 12.00pm

Swara v Daystar Falcons – Impala Club – 12.00pm

 Central

Embu v MKU Thika – Embu – 3.00pm