We shall bounce back to Kenya Cup, says MMUST coach Asila

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) will seek a quick return to Kenya Cup following their relegation in the just concluded campaign.

Coach John Asila said: “We were in Kenya Cup for three seasons. We picked vital lessons and I promise that we shall be back. We want to stay humble and work our way up.”

He spoke in Kisii after guiding his 29-0 win over Kisumu RFC to clinch the third edition of Kisii 7’s at Gusii Stadium.  

“We have started rebuilding slowly and we want to build a team that will stay in Kenya Cup for long. We want to build a strong base and good culture that will keep the team going,” said Asila.

On the Kisii 7’s, Asila said: “It was a good tournament for us. It has given us good exposure because we played good teams. It was a good risk to come but it was worth it.”

He attributed the club’s relegation to the loss of several first-team players to top Kenya Cup clubs.  

“We have young, talented and exciting players. Looking forward to the Sevens series and KRU Championship,” noted Asila.

MMUST was relegated alongside University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine. The club was promoted to the top-tier league in 2021. They will be replaced by Kisumu RFC and Nondies.

Nondies made a comeback to Kenya Cup after one season in the second-tier Championship.

At the same time, Kisumu RFC coach Lawrence Buyachi admits he faces a tough task ahead of their Kenya Cup return. The club was relegated to KRU Championship in 2020.

“This tournament has helped me gauge the boys before we embark on the season. I had the advantage of fielding two teams in this tournament which has helped me see where we are. We have good depth,” said the former Kenyan international.

“We must work on our strength and conditioning when we go back to Kisumu. Team cohesion was also wanting,” added Buyachi.

On their return to Kenya Cup, Buyachi said: “It’s an exciting feeling for us, the boys, the sponsors and fans. We are in the process of planning. We are going to Kenya Cup and we want to stay there for long.”

“We call upon other sponsors to come on board to help us during our stay in the top tier. We have a big program,” he added. “There is a lot of movement and, of course, we will go shopping around for some players.”