- KCB Rugby co-captain Vincent Onyala praised his side despite their 14-8 defeat to Kabras Sugar in the 2025/26 Kenya Cup final.
- The Bankers fell to the Sugar Millers on Saturday, May 9, at the ASK Showground in Kakamega as Kabras completed a historic fifth straight title.
- KCB’s last Kenya Cup triumph came in 2021, with Onyala hailing the team’s young squad for their spirited performance despite falling short.
KCB Rugby co-captain Vincent Onyala walked away with zero regrets, only praise for his side’s performance despite falling to their rivals Kabras Sugar in the 25/26 Kenya Cup final, held at the ASK Showground in Kakamega on Saturday, May 9.
The Bankers, who were chasing their first Kenya Cup title in four years, saw the trophy slip away as Kabras staged a sensational second-half comeback to win 14-8 and complete a historic five-peat, becoming just the third team in Kenya Cup history to win five consecutive titles.
KCB had taken the lead in the first half through a well-taken penalty by Brian Wahinya that handed them a 3-0 advantage before the break, while their defence remained resolute despite playing nearly ten minutes a man down after Festus Shiasi was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin.
READ MORE: Kabras Sugar stun KCB to complete historic five-peat in the Kenya Cup
However, the momentum shifted in the second half as Carlos Katywa, who had already made three changes in the opening half due to the intensity of the contest, saw his substitutes make an instant impact.
Ntabeni Dukisa slotted nine crucial points through three composed kicks, while Hillary Odhiambo added a try. Although Shiasi crossed over for KCB’s try, it was not enough to secure victory at the Forest.
Despite the defeat, Kenya 7s winger Onyala refused to dwell on missed opportunities, insisting he was proud of the squad’s display.
He noted that most of the players had never experienced a Kenya Cup final before, with only three members of the current squad remaining from the 2021 title-winning side.
“The game was tough. I think we started pretty well,” Onyala told SpotPesa Blog.
This is one of those matches where you know your opponent, you have them on the edge, but you keep letting them loose. And with muscle memory… my team only had three players who truly know what it feels like to win the Kenya Cup.
So I had like 13, 12 rookies playing a final, and they punched above their weight. Two years ago, they weren’t in this final. Today, they are here.”
Why Onyala was left with no regrets but praise for his side despite Kenya Cup final defeat to Kabras
The last time KCB won the Kenya Cup was back in 2021, and so much has changed including the squad.
In 2026, only three players from that championship team were still on the field, led by Onyala, alongside scrum-half Samwel Asati and Isaac Njoroge.
For Onyala, having so many newcomers is a positive sign. He believes they are gelling well, and that this runner-up finish he says is just a small setback and next season, they are going all in.
“So I think the gap is really closing well and the young boys are taking the job at hand with lion-hearted spirit. We’re pretty focused for next season. I’m telling you, it is not going to be easy. This is just a runners-up finish with a bunch of 12 newbies,” he added.
The former Shujaa co-captain stated they had done their homework well and ticked all their boxes, only for Kabras to get their contacts right and come out on top.
“We did our homework and were pretty confident in our defense because we knew that’s where they thrive. They thrive on big carries. And today, there was no running.
First off, the pitch was a bit smaller, and we had them on the edge, knowing this would be a game of contact. Whoever wins the contact battle wins the match. And you just saw how the last minutes slipped away.”
He also revealed how Dukisa’s arrival changed the game and pointed out a few slip-ups that cost them.
“It completely shifted the dynamic. They brought in a very experienced midfielder, Dukisa. We had a few good kicks, but we didn’t adapt in time. That gave them the edge. We fumbled a couple of times, and they held on. We tried to wiggle out of it, but at the end of the day, the better front-footer has to win,” he reiterated.
The Andrew Amonde side will now head back to the drawing board to prepare for the new season, starting with the national sevens circuit- which they will be looking to defend after winning it last year.
KCB Starting XV at Kenya Cup final 2026
1. Nick Okullo 2.Fidel Maina 3.Wilhite Mususi 4.Emmanuel Silungi 5.Winstone Macharia 6.Elvis Olukusi 7.George Ooro 8.Sheldon Kahi 9.Samuel Asati(Played in 2021) 10.Brian Wahinya 11.Festus Shiasi 12.Bob Muhati 13.Richel Wangila 14.Vincent Onyala (Played in 2021) 15.Isaac Njoroge (Played in 2021)
Substitution – 16. Wilfred Waswa 17. Thomas Okidia 18. Eric Miheso 19. Brian Munyali 20. Churchill Otieno 21. Eric Opondo 22. Mike Wekesa 23. Elvis Namusasi