Herman Humwa has been appointed Kenya Harlequin captain for the 20-23-2024 Kenya Cup season that starts this weekend.
Humwa, who has been part of the Shujaa setup for the last four years, is one of the experienced players at the Ngong Road outfit — who will be keen to improve on their semifinal finish last season.
He will be assisted by Richel Wangila.
Head coach Pau Murunga believes the club have what it takes to challenge the perennial contenders — champions Kabras and former champions KCB — for the Kenya Cup crown this season.
“Last year our young side woke up in the second half of the campaign. We now need to bring that momentum to this new season. We want to play in the final and hopefully, win the trophy," said Murunga.
The eight-time Kenya Cup champions have signed Zedden Marow and Jan Remke from Homeboyz and promoted Kenya Under 20 skipper Laban Kipsang to the first team.
They have, however, lost the services of burly back row and Kenya Simbas player Elkeans Musonye to rivals Menengai Oilers though Murunga believes there is enough depth in the squad to last the season.
"We have a decent squad which should be competitive and be in the conversation about winning the league title," he said.
Quins have also acquired the services of former Kabras tactician Henley Du Plessis, who conducted a four-week training program as part of their pre-season.
"We had a solid pre-season with him (Du Plessis). He looked at all areas of the team where we can strengthen. It was a real eye-opener for the players as well as the technical bench," said Murunga.
The former Homeboyz and Kenya Sevens coach also expects the likes of Menengai Oilers and Strathmore to be in the fight for the championship.
“You can't rule them out since they have very good coaches and players. They also have the experience of competing in the Kenya Cup in the last couple of years. On their day, they can be a tough challenge for any team,” he observed.
