- Blak Blad delivered the biggest upset in the Floodies 2024 quarterfinals after stunning defending champions KCB 9-8.
- Oilers, Impala and Nondies also booked their tickets to the semis.
Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad delivered a masterclass in the last quarterfinal match of the Impala Floodlit 2024 tournament as they knocked out defending champions KCB following a stunning 9-8 win, ending the Bankers’ five-year dominance in the knockout competition.
Coming in as the underdogs in the Thika Road Derby, Blad was the quickest off the blocks and took an early 3-0 lead when Kelvin Gathu slotted in a penalty.
The fullback then extended Blad’s advantage to 6-0 after another successful penalty conversion but KCB, careful not to let the game out of their reach, managed to reduce the deficit to 6-5 following a powerful rolling maul that culminated with a try at the corner.
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The varsity side then had chances to restore their six-point lead but Gathu missed two penalties as KCB stayed within touching distance.
Gathu however found his shooting boots on a third time of asking as he gave Blad a 9-5 lead but could not widen the margin after missing another penalty and turning unsuccessful with an audacious drop goal attempt.
With only four points separating the sides, KCB knew they only needed one chance to turn the game on its head but errors proved costly as Blad stayed in the lead.
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Levi Amunga managed to get the game to a one-point affair as he drilled in a penalty for his side to bring the scores to 9-8.
The Oliver Mang’eni-coached side heaped pressure in the final minutes and thought they had stolen a win with the game’s last play after touching down but centre referee Constant Cap disallowed the try for an earlier infringement after consulting with his assistant referee.
That proved to be the last bit of action as Blad kicked out the ball to take down KCB who had won the last five editions of the tournament.
In other matches, hosts Impala managed a win in their first match under new head coach Louis ‘Fadhee’ Kisia after beating Mwamba 18-3 in the second quarterfinal to book their spot in the semis.
Tries from Derrick Kanyiri and Patrick Muli helped Impala over the line as Mwamba struggled to record any try with their points coming from Shaban Ahmed’s penalty.
In the first quarter, Menengai Oilers thrashed Catholic Monks 40-3 while last year’s runners up Nondies beat Strathmore Leos 24-8 to also book their semifinal ticket.
Floodies 2024 quarterfinal results
Menengai Oilers 40-3 Catholic Monks
Impala 18-3 Mwamba
Nondies 24-8 Strathmore Leos
Blak Blad 9-8 KCB