Katywa has revealed certain elements of the side's win over Uganda he did not like although Kenya Simbas smashed them 21-5 in Kampala to lift the trophy.
Kenya Simbas assistant coach Carlos Katywa has expressed mixed emotions following his team’s commanding 21-5 victory over Uganda Cranes in the second leg of the 2024 Elgon Cup.
Despite securing the title with an aggregate score of 48-30, Katywa pointed out several areas of concern, particularly unforced errors that went unpunished during the clash.
The Simbas had narrowly edged Uganda 27-25 in the first leg in Nairobi, setting the stage for a dominant second-leg performance in Kampala. Converted tries by Ephraim Oduor, Eugene Sifuna, and rookie Andy Cole Omollo, who was named man of the match, sealed Kenya’s win.
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In his post-match remarks, Katywa, who is also the head coach of Kabras Sugar, commended his team for executing the game plan but was critical of some decision-making lapses that could have cost them.
“All credit goes to the players,” Katywa said. “We had a very good look at the game last week when we played and found loopholes and mistakes that Uganda had showed.
“Fortunately for us, they did not even change much in their team, so we knew going into this game, they would probably bring the same game and want to contain us in our lineouts and scrums.”
Katywa explained that his team identified alternative areas to exploit, which proved successful. However, he lamented their inability to completely seal the game in the first half.
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Paarwater was far from pleased with his boys' performances despite their narrow 27-25 win over Uganda in the Elgon Cup first leg clash that took place in Nairobi.
“There were a couple of unforced errors on our side. I think we could have closed the game in the first half, but decision-making let us down,” he noted.
“It is still quite early in the season for us in Kenya, and the players are still in the offseason, so it was quite a comedy of errors.”
Despite Katywa’s critique, the Simbas’ overall performance in the Elgon Cup offers a promising start to the season. The back-to-back victories over their East African rivals underline the team's potential, even as they work on refining their gameplay.
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For Katywa and his squad, the focus will now shift to addressing these early-season challenges and building on their success as they prepare for upcoming fixtures.
With young talents like Andy Cole Omollo shining on the big stage, Kenya will be keen to solidify their dominance in regional rugby while minimizing the errors highlighted by their coach.