Why Kenya Sevens legend is unfazed despite KCB's two-year Impala Floodlit title drought
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 29.10.25. | 08:01
The defeat extended the Bankers’ two-year wait for another Floodlit title, following last year’s 9-8 exit to Blak Blad at the same stage
KCB Rugby’s interim coach, Andrew Amonde, has downplayed the latest Impala Floodlit Tournament setback, insisting there is no pressure in the team despite their 16-13 quarterfinal loss to Menengai Oilers on Saturday, 25 October at the Impala Club.
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The defeat extended the Bankers’ two-year wait for their 11th Floodlit title, following last year’s 9-8 shock exit to Blak Blad at the same stage.
For a club that had lifted the trophy five consecutive times, the result could easily have sparked tension, but Amonde remained calm and focused on the bigger picture.
Amonde, who is also overseeing the team during this pre-season phase, said the narrow loss was more about fine margins than failure.
“There is no pressure because it was a knockout match and it was a tough game, anybody could have gone through, but the luck did not fall on our side. It just shows we still have a lot to do on our side,” he said.
KCB had started brightly in the rain-soaked match, using their territorial kicking and structured play to take control early.
Scrum-half Samuel Asati and fly-half Brian Wahinya combined well to pin the Oilers deep, with Wahinya’s clever kick leading to a grounded try by William Opaka that pushed the Bankers 10-3 ahead midway through the first half.
Despite leading 13-6 deep into the second half, KCB were undone by Oilers’ late surge, a converted try, and a penalty in the final minutes, sealing their elimination.
“We played very well, but unfortunately, we could not secure the game in the last minute. We came here to learn. It is still a learning process,” Amonde added.
He further emphasised that the Floodlit outing was their first competitive test after pre-season training, and that the focus remains on building cohesion ahead of the Kenya Cup.
“Being the first game from our pre-season, we will keep on building the team as we continue to the Kenya Cup.
There is still a lot of work from what we have seen, but we will keep on grinding until we see the formula of how we will come back and be a stronger team,” he offered.
He acknowledged that while the set pieces functioned well, moments of ill-discipline and minor errors in wet conditions hurt their rhythm.
“The set pieces went well. A few mistakes we made when we conceded the penalties and our set pieces.
It is just a matter of going back to see what we can improve and who we can bring back to the squad because we still have a few guys who have not tasted the squad,” he averred.
The Kenya 7s strength and conditioning coach also stressed that the tournament provides a platform to test combinations and give opportunities to upcoming players.
“We are still giving opportunities to the young guys and all the other guys who did not play the first game. It is a matter of growing.
We keep on playing, and other players will come, and we will try them out so we get to see how we will mix them up for the Kenya Cup,” he said.
Despite back-to-back quarterfinal exits, Amonde remains focused on development rather than short-term results.
“We are here to learn and grow. We go back and compete again and see how we can grow as a team,” he concluded.
