Impala RFC have made it to the final of their home tournament, the Impala Floodlit, for the first time in six years following a hard-fought 9-6 win over Nondies in a tense semifinal at Impala Club.
Now coached by Louis Kisia, who took over in the offseason, Impala last appeared in the final in 2018 but faced early exits in the 2019, 2022, and 2023 editions. They faced a formidable Nondies side, who have featured in the last two finals post-COVID.
Impala RFC -Nondies tight
In a low-scoring game where both sides relied on penalty kicks as tries remained elusive, Impala opened the scoring in the first minute with a successful penalty. Nondies’ Moseti Nyaenya levelled the score 3-3 with a penalty five minutes later.
Impala regained the lead with another penalty in the 21st minute, but Nyaenya struck again in the 33rd minute to even the scores at 6-6.
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The second half saw even tighter competition, with only three points added to the board. Quinto Ongo’s penalty two minutes into the half secured Impala’s 9-6 lead. Though he missed another attempt, Impala held onto the slim margin, while Nondies’ attempts were hindered by knock-ons in promising positions.
With the victory, Impala advance to the final, where they await the winner of the Menengai Oilers versus Blak Blad match.
Watch Impala Bok vs Stallions here:
