By KPC Sports Reporter
A dramatic late goal by Sheila Shikuku secured a vital 2-1 victory for the University of Eldoret (UOE) over Meru University, booking their place in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) National Ball Games playoffs at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).
UOE, who had suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Zetech University in their opening match, went into the tie needing nothing less than a win to keep their qualification hopes alive—and rose to the occasion under pressure.
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Lina Kimuma handed UOE an early advantage in the 10th minute of the first half, but Meru University fought back after the break, with Sarah Odhiambo equalizing to make it 1-1.
With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Shikuku delivered in the dying minutes, unleashing a powerful right-footed strike into the left corner to seal a dramatic victory.
Head coach Josphat Pilishi lauded his squad’s resilience, pointing to steady growth since their regional outings.
“My young squad has been improving steadily since the Rift Conference and the Taita Taveta playoffs. After losing the opening match, this was a must-win game. Now that we are in the quarterfinals, we are ready for the next challenge,” said Pilishi.
UOE will now face the winners of Pool A, which features JOOUST, JKUAT, Multimedia University (MMU), and Taita Taveta University (TTU).
Elsewhere, defending champions Maasai Mara University were held to a 1-1 draw by Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT).
Rugby 15s Finals Set
Attention now shifts to the rugby 15s category on Saturday following the conclusion of league matches.
DeKUT will take on the University of Nairobi (UoN) in the fifth-place playoff.
Hosts CUEA are set to face UOE in the third-place match, while Maseno University will clash with Moi University in the final to determine the gold medal winners.
Cooperative University’s women’s team impressed on their national debut, edging Rongo 14-10 before narrowly losing 25-21 to Pwani.
Captain Eljireha Zanita expressed confidence in their title ambitions.
In men’s rugby results, Rongo beat Cooperative 17-14, Kenyatta University (KU) defeated Pwani 29-09, Meru edged JKUAT 13-10, JKUAT beat UoN 19-11, and Meru saw off Kabarak 15-13.
In men’s netball, Egerton defeated Machakos 22-12, UOE beat Meru 16-11 and Pwani 22-8, KU saw off Meru 22-10, Kisii thrashed Africa International University (AIU) 32-02 before falling 12-17 to JKUAT, while Tharaka beat KAFU 15-12 and UoN 13-08.
In women’s netball, UOE recorded a 24-13 win over Chuka, KU beat Chuka 31-09, TTU secured a 20-06 victory over AIU, Meru defeated Egerton 19-12, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) overcame UoN 29-09.
MMUST maintained an unbeaten run in both men’s and women’s categories.
In women’s volleyball, Cooperative University staged a remarkable comeback, recovering from two sets down to defeat Moi University 3-2 in a thrilling one-hour, 50-minute match (14-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23, 15-09).
In other volleyball matches, UoN beat UOE in straight sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-15), while defending champions MMUST defeated Kirinyaga University 3-1.
