Football

Quartet scrap for cup glory after Gor Mahia runs away with league title

Kenya Police FC players celebrating in a past match © Kenya Police FC

By Michael Kirwa | Sunday, May 26, 2024

The FKF Cup semis will be played at the Police Sacco Stadium and not Dandora as earlier scheduled

The quartet of AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks, KCB, and Kenya Police will walk into the pitch tomorrow determined to qualify for this year's FKF Cup final, which remains the only domestic cup being contested for after Gor Mahia ran away with the league title last weekend for a record 21st time.

At the Police Sacco Stadium in a 3-pm kick off, Kenya Police and 10-time winners will stand on each other's way. Kenya Police, who have over the last three years challenged the status quo in Kenya football with their deep pockets, will be desperate to make a statement of their progress since their promotion to the top flight three seasons ago with qualification to the their first ever domestic cup final.

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However, to do that, Kenya Police will have to get the monkey of never defeating AFC Leopards in a competitive match off their back. The law enforcers have lost thrice and drawn as many matches in six competitive matches against Ingwe.

AFC Leopards experience in this competition cannot be belaboured and their fans expect them to march to their 15 FKF Cup final and maintain their record of never losing in the final since 2003. AFC Leopards last three appearances in the FKF Cup final - 2009, 2013, and 2017 - ended in victories.

None of the other teams remaining in the competition - Kariobangi Sharks and KCB - can match AFC Leopards' record in the competition but unlike Kenya Police, they can boast of winning it at least once.

KCB were winners 20 years ago when they defeated Thika United 1-0 in the 2004 FKF Cup final, then known as the Transparency Cup and will be looking to cruise to their first final since then.

Kariobangi Sharks had a love-hate relationship with competition after reaching the final in three consecutives seasons from 2017 to 2019 but lifting the trophy only once, in 2018 after a dramatic 3-2 win over Sofapaka.

Their quest on Sunday will be to reach a fourth final with the hope of later balancing their losers' and winners' medals.

KCB vs Kariobangi Sharks will also be played at the Police Sacco Stadium, and kicking off at 12 pm, it will curtainraise the showstopper semfinal tie between Kenya Police and AFC Leopards.

The final will be played on Saturday, June 29, 2024, just six days after the conclusion of the 2023-24 FKF Premier League. The venue has not yet been confirmed.