Shikuku’s Late Goal Propels UOE to KUSF Quarterfinals as Rugby 15s Finalists Confirmed

A dramatic late strike by Sheila Shikuku secured a crucial 2-1 win for the University of Eldoret (UOE) against Meru University, advancing them to the quarterfinals of the Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) National Ball Games playoffs at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).
After a narrow 1-0 loss to Zetech University in their opening match, UOE entered this contest requiring a victory to maintain their qualification prospectsand they delivered under pressure.
Lina Kimuma gave UOE an early lead in the 10th minute of the first half, but Meru University responded after halftime, with Sarah Odhiambo leveling the score at 1-1.
As the match appeared destined for a draw, Shikuku came through in the closing moments, unleashing a powerful right-footed shot into the left corner to secure a dramatic win.
Head coach Josphat Pilishi praised his team’s resilience, highlighting their consistent development since regional competitions.
“My young squad has been making steady progress since the Rift Conference and the Taita Taveta playoffs. After our opening match loss, this was an essential win. Now that we’ve reached the quarterfinals, we’re prepared for the next hurdle,” stated Pilishi.
UOE will now confront the Pool A winners, which include JOOUST, JKUAT, Multimedia University (MMU), and Taita Taveta University (TTU).
In other matches, defending champions Maasai Mara University were held to a 1-1 draw by Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT).
Rugby 15s Finals Confirmed
Focus now turns to the rugby 15s category on Saturday after league matches concluded.
DeKUT will battle the University of Nairobi (UoN) in the fifth-place playoff.
Hosts CUEA will meet UOE in the third-place match, while Maseno University will face Moi University in the final to decide the gold medalists.
Cooperative University’s women’s team made a strong impression in their national debut, defeating Rongo 14-10 before narrowly losing 25-21 to Pwani.
Captain Eljireha Zanita conveyed optimism about their championship aspirations.
In men’s rugby results, Rongo defeated Cooperative 17-14, Kenyatta University (KU) overcame Pwani 29-09, Meru narrowly beat JKUAT 13-10, JKUAT triumphed over UoN 19-11, and Meru defeated Kabarak 15-13.
In men’s netball, Egerton conquered Machakos 22-12, UOE overcame Meru 16-11 and Pwani 22-8, KU defeated Meru 22-10, Kisii routed Africa International University (AIU) 32-02 before losing 12-17 to JKUAT, while Tharaka beat KAFU 15-12 and UoN 13-08.
In women’s netball, UOE achieved a 24-13 victory over Chuka, KU defeated Chuka 31-09, TTU claimed a 20-06 win over AIU, Meru beat Egerton 19-12, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) defeated UoN 29-09.
MMUST preserved their perfect record in both men’s and women’s categories.
In women’s volleyball, Cooperative University mounted an impressive comeback, rallying from two sets down to defeat Moi University 3-2 in an exciting one-hour, 50-minute match (14-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23, 15-09).
In other volleyball matches, UoN defeated UOE in straight sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-15), while defending champions MMUST overcame Kirinyaga University 3-1.