After their fourth consecutive defeat against Kisumu RFC on Saturday at Mamboleo grounds, South Coast Pirates head coach Kevin Amiani remains confident that the club can stay in the Kenya Cup for next season.
Pirates handed Kisumu RFC their first win this season, losing 38-9 in a match played in honor of the late Fidel Odinga, Kisumu’s former chairman, as part of the Obange Cup marking 10 years since his passing.
The Kwale-based club is competing in the top-tier league for the first time after gaining promotion by clinching the Kenya Rugby Union Championship title after beating Impala in the finals 16-5.
Hoping to start their campaign well, Pirates were crushed 95-5 by Kenya Cup KCB RFC at KCB Sports Club.
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In the second match, the result mirrored the first as they faced the sharpness of the defending champions, Kabras Sugar, losing 45-3 at Seacrest Grounds in Diani.
They narrowly lost 30-22 to Impala RFC in what was the fourth meeting between the two teams having secured three previous wins. However, on the day, it was Impala’s time to shine.
Speaking after the defeat against Kisumu, Amiani lamented that they had hoped to secure three points, but the players’ fatigue from traveling for more than 20 hours contributed to their poor performance.
“These are the results we were not expecting. We hoped to pick up points but the long journey affected us. I think we spent about 27 hours getting here. Y
ou can see my players were competing, but they showed fatigue in the second half and that’s where the turn of the game happened,” he said.
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Despite the setbacks, Amiani remains positive about the team and has encouraged his players to keep their heads up, as there is still a way to survive in the league.
“For my team, they need to keep their heads up. The fight is still on. There’s still a possibility and there’s a way we can survive in the Kenya Cup,” he added.
“Next weekend we have a match at home, so that’s a way to rebuild and ensure we win.”
Pirates will host Strathmore Leos on Saturday, 18th January and aim to bounce back from all the setbacks.
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