Nairobi United captain reveals four sources of motivation to oust KCB out of Mozzart Bet Cup

Nairobi United captain John Otieno has opened up on various sources of motivation propelling the side ahead of their upcoming Mozzart Bet Cup clash against KCB FC.

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The two teams are set to meet in the quarter-finals of the prestigious domestic cup on Sunday, 3 May, with both sides aiming to advance to the last four and eventually lift the trophy.

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Naibois, who are the defending Mozzart Bet Cup champions, secured a slot in the CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC) this season, as a reward for their success, an experience they would wish to enjoy again.

“We have the hunger to achieve more than we did this season in the CAFCC. We are aiming to get back there, this time round, not as participants but equal competitors,” said Otieno.

The FKF Premier League newbies created history by winning the cup while still competing in the second tier, with KCB FC among the top-tier teams they eliminated on their way to glory.

“Being the defending champions of the Cup is in itself a motivation, and secondly, having faced KCB last season in the round of 16 and emerging as winners is a morale booster. However, this time we will not meet them as underdogs but as champions,” he added.

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The former Sofapaka FC defender draws confidence from Naibos' impressive run in the FKFPL, where they are unbeaten in their past six matches, a run that includes three wins.

“We have had a good run in the league, which has given us the motivation as we head into the match, and everybody in camp is ready,” he noted.

His sentiments were shared by head coach Godfrey 'Solo' Oduor, who is under pressure to replicate the success the team enjoyed last season.

“Our target is to retain the cup title as we want to be the club that wins it twice in a row in recent times,” said Oduor.

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“Our vision is to be both Kenyan and African giants, and that can only happen if we win titles, and therefore, we must come together to achieve that.

Winning also takes us back to continental football, and that begins with securing a place in the semi-final slot,” he explained.

The match will be the second of a cup double header, which will kick off at 1530 hrs at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, with Ulinzi Stars and Tusker FC acting as the curtain raiser at 1300 hrs.