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Nondies and Impala renew rivalry


Neighbours Impala and Nondescripts face off in the Kenya Cup and Eric Shirley Shield in the first of many grudge matches this season.

Ngong Road, host to three of Kenya’s oldest clubs – Nondies, Kenya Harlequins and Impala, has always attracted large numbers whenever either of the teams play each other.

Nondies, however, are on top of the food chain having beaten Impala and Quins in the Kenya Cup last season.

The team hammered Impala 38-0 in the 2011/2012 and followed it up with a 16-0 win over the team last season.

Nondies also beat Quins 23-18 at the Jamhuri Showground.

New signings

This season, Impala are no pushovers. 

They finished third in the Impala Floodlit Tournament after a 51-9 whitewash of Floodies specialists Mean Machine.

The Gazelles will also be looking to show off their new shiny toys in the frame of former Machine captain Joel Maingi and prodigal sons Nato Simiyu and Dennis Karani who had short stints at Quins after leaving Impala two seasons ago.

The Saturday encounter will be made interesting by the players who have since crossed the fence from either side, making them hate figures in their previous clubs.

Impala centre Anthony Nyandigisi, after three seasons with Nondies, opted to cross over to Impala in 2010.

The move was depressing to Nondies as they lost their key playmaker at a time they were at their lowest point of their 90 year history.

Nyando, as he is better known in rugby circles, will no doubt be a target of the Nondies backrow, who will be looking to take revenge on behalf of their club.

Nondies’ winger Leslie Ochieng may be targeted by Impala for revenge on departing for Nondies in the 2011/2012 season.

Much like Nyandigisi, Ochieng will be one of the players to watch in the fixture.