This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
On May 3, 2016, Butali Warriors, the reigning champions of the Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League, were set to face off against Strathmore University's Gladiators at City Park. The match was a crucial one for both teams, with Butali looking to extend their unbeaten run and Strathmore seeking to bounce back from a string of losses.
Butali, who were top of the standings with 27 points, were confident of emerging victorious. Their captain, Kenneth Nyongesa, stated that they would be going for maximum points, saying, 'We want to continue winning because that is the only way we will succeed in defending our title. We don't look down on any of our opponents based on previous matches and against Strathmore, it will not be different because we need victory to move us closer to achieving our goal.'
Butali had a strong record against Strathmore, having won six out of their last seven encounters, with the seventh ending in a 1-1 draw. In their previous meeting this season, Butali had thrashed Strathmore 7-0.
Strathmore, on the other hand, were struggling to find their form, and were currently one place above the relegation zone. They would need to pull off a major upset to beat Butali and stay in contention for the title.
