With the results in from the eighth round of matches in the 2012/2013 Kenya Cup, there is an almighty scramble for the four available slots to the league semis with just three matches of the round robin phase left to play. KCB, winners in 2005,2006 and 2007 are placed atop the standings with 36 points coming courtesy of seven wins and one draw. Menengai Oil Nakuru lie second, three points adrift, their 33 points coming off six wins and two draws. Strathmore Leos lie third on the log with 29 points, having won five matches, drawn one and lost twice. Reigning champions Lunch Bar Quins are fourth on 26 points coming off four wins, one draw and three defeats while Mwamba RFC are fifth on 25 points, having won five matches, drawn once and lost twice. Homeboyz RFC are sixth with 23 points coming off five wins and three defeats. Total Nondies lie seventh with 21 points from four wins and four defeats.

As it stands, the remaining three fixtures will be closely monitored. The general feeling is that KCB and Nakuru have all but qualified for the semis and the fight is down to the remaining two slots which will very likely be competed for by three teams, namely Strathmore, Quins and Mwamba
Defending champions Quins suffered a setback on Saturday when they fell to a 25-19 away loss to Mwamba. They will have to dig deep in their remaining three fixtures which are against sides above them on the log namely Strathmore, KCB and Nakuru. Failure here will most probably symbolize the end of the road for the Ngong Road side, but don’t write them off just yet.
Mwamba RFC’s win on Saturday saw them stay fifth but importantly reduced the deficit between them and the final playoff slot to just one point. With pending matches against Blak Blad, Kisumu and Mean Machine, Mwamba’s destiny is in their own hands.
Strathmore Leos have pending fixtures against Quins, Blak Blad and Kisumu and like Mwamba, cannot afford to lose the plot at this juncture.
Homeboyz RFC are in with an outside chance of reaching the semis. However, they have three potentially tricky matches against Western Bulls in Kakamega, Nondies and Impala. They must win all these matches and hope for other teams to slip up. The challenges they face are; Western Bulls are unbeaten in Kenya Cup action in Kakamega while Nondies and Impala are resurgent, after slow starts to the season.
Nondies play against Mean Machine, Western Bulls and Homeboyz in their final three fixutres. Like Homeboyz above them, they must win and hope for others to slip up if they are to be in the semi final on February 16.