Why coach Carlos Kyatwa was disappointed despite Kabras claiming 4th consecutive Kenya Cup title
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 14.04.25. | 17:22
With the victory now behind them, the Sugarmen will be keen to bag a fourth Enterprise Cup title when they tackle the same Oilers on Saturday, 26 April
On Saturday, 12 April, Kabras Sugar RFC etched their name deeper into Kenya Cup folklore after defeating a gritty Menengai Oilers 27-26 to be crowned the 2024/25 champions.
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The victory saw the Sugar Millers join the great sides of Impala RFC back in the early '70s, Nondescript RFC in the late '70s, and KCB RFC recently as the only clubs that have lifted the Kenya Cup title four consecutive times.
But even amid the enthusiasm, the team’s head coach, Carlos Kyatwa, was not fully satisfied. His concerns were not about the result, but rather how the results were achieved.
The South African gaffer lamented the narrow margin, given the team’s dominance the entire season. The final marked Kabras’ 51-match unbeaten streak.
“It was an incredible game to watch. We did the county proud. We did the Kabras Sugar Company proud. The boys tried. They played well,” Kyatwa started.
The Oilers trailed 17-9 at halftime, but a second-half resurgence brought them too close to writing history. Their major undoing was handling errors at the try box, which cost them several points.
“But the only thing that just saddens me is that we didn't execute everything that we promised to do. But a win is a win at the end of the day. They gave it their all. One point, we should have sealed this game,” the visibly emotional Kyatwa offered.
He went on to lament the impact of the Kenya Sevens stars in the team. The squad possesses the likes of Kevin Wekesa and Brian Tanga in the national team, who, according to Kyatwa, ‘did not do justice.’
“I mean, these guys, most of them are going to the national team. If this is the attitude, and everything that takes something, I'm very worried,” he averred.
He continued: “But as much as it was expected, I mean, it was mostly the Sevens guys. We made silly errors. And I think something that we've been talking about the whole season, that I think we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves, and we think we are better than this.
The narrow margin was a clear sign that other teams are catching up with the Sugarmen, who have been beyond reach in the past years.
For instance, Nondies RFC came too close to defeating them during the regular season, as the match ended 7-3. During their final regular Kenya Cup season against the Oilers, the Sugarmen narrowly won 20-14.
“Other teams are catching up with us, but I'll take the victory. I'm happy for the boys as a coach personally, I'm slightly disappointed because this game should not have gone to the wire, and it should not have been this close,” he said.
The tactician further observed that issues such as discipline were affecting the team’s overall performance, stressing that a lack of focus and commitment at crucial moments had cost them valuable points.
“There are a lot of issues, such as discipline within our group. I'm excited, I'm happy, but there's a lot that needs to be done because it might be the end of the season. This is not the way we want to end the season. We want to be on top of the world,” he concluded.
With the victory now behind them, the Sugarmen will be keen to bag a fourth Enterprise Cup title when they tackle the same Oilers on Saturday, 26 April.
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