Handball: Upsets galore as Nairobi Water's decade-long winning streak is broken

When Kenya Defence Forces' (KDF) side Ulinzi Sharks lost their Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) Super Cup opening match, no one expected them to pull a surprise against favourites Nairobi Water Queens in their next assignment. 

However, the hunger to break a 12-year-long winning streak for the Jack Ochieng-led Water proved the difference as the soldiers approached the match played on Sunday 21 May with ruthless focus to win 33-26.

It was an electric atmosphere from the get go as the soldiers assumed lead early on in the match at 3-0, but the defending champions clawed back to level the scores at five goals and assume lead. 

Handball: Positive start for title-hunting Ulinzi as Sharks fall

The military side trailed by two goals at half time as Water led 12-14, an advantage that was short lived as the second half of the match became a see-saw with the two sides exchanging leads at will. 

Water looked the better side, until the soldiers tightened their defense and made their side impenetrable, complimented by superb goalkeeping which resulted to even better chances on offense to assume lead.

Sarah Wasike and Euphrasia Mukasia were switched on and made every opportunity count, scoring seven and six goals respectively to help the side create history. 

Water did not do themselves any favours as they took Sharks to the line for seven-meter shots that kept the difference growing, making it that much tougher to mount a comeback. 

Handball: NCPB get Super Cup title defense off to winning start

"This has been a long time coming and I am happy for this win. After losing to NCPB we knew what to correct as we faced Water. We had a game plan that has worked for us. 

Even when we were trailing, we kept encouraging them to believe they can play better than the champions and they slowly picked up for this win.

The competition is, however, not over. We still have another match to play and with every team having won once, the title is still open so we maintain the same winning focus," Nixon Oyaro offered after the win. 

Nairobi Water's former player and current team manager Carolyne Kusa maintains that the Cup is theirs to lose despite Sunday's defeat. 

"We did not play our game today and allowed them to dominate in the second half. Our defense crumbled when they built a gap and we were unable to recover. 

We go back to the drawing board and restrategise for the next match. I am confident we will defend the Cup," offered Kusa. 

Meanwhile, Kimilili-based Rangers got back to winning ways as they took on National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in their second match of the four-team competition. 

The Musa Munyasia-coached side took the millers to tye cleaners, picking a 27-24 victory to improve their chances of finishing on the podium while denting NCPB's chances of lifting the title.

Rangers started the match on a high and were 11-08 ahead going into the breaknafter a dominant show that had them capitalising on every opportunity to score. 

Lydia Juma, Belinda Mulongo and Diana Barasa did the most damage to the millers, scoring five each, as Rangers maintained their lead in the second half where they created a six-goal advantage. 

However, back-to-back turnovers in the last minute of the match saw the advantage reduced to three before the final whistle.