And Women secure super cup spot as men fight for survival
By Teddy Otieno – Sports Editor
(tedootieno@gmail.com)
The Daystar Falcons handball teams experienced mixed fortunes in the 2025/2026 Kenya Handball Premier League season, a reality highlighted during the Madaraka Day league matchday at the Nyayo Stadium Handball Court.
The Falcons women’s team played their final league match of the season, earning a hard-fought 29-29 draw against National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). Leah Nyongesa and Esther Nyangami led the scoring with six and five goals respectively. Impressively, the team’s 29 goals were shared among eight players, underlining the Falcons’ strong team-oriented approach.
The result sees the Falcons women finish fifth in the league standings and secure qualification for the Super Cup tournament scheduled for August. It marks another impressive achievement for a side renowned for punching above its weight. The team also concludes the season as Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) champions after winning the tournament in Kakamega during their maiden appearance in April.
Meanwhile, the Falcons men’s team continues to face a challenging Premier League campaign. This season introduced significant changes to the league structure, with the number of teams reduced to twelve and the bottom two sides facing relegation to the National League. The adoption of a home-and-away format, where teams play each other twice, has further increased competitiveness and improved the overall quality of the league.
The Madaraka Day fixture saw the second leg of the Falcons’ encounter with Equity at the Nyayo Handball Court. Having narrowly lost the first leg by four goals, the Falcons entered the return match hoping to cause an upset. The Falcons produced a fluid, tactical, and entertaining display. They played confidently against an Equity side that sits second in the table and boasts one of the league’s strongest defensive records.
The contest was fiercely contested and saw Falcon William Oduor receive a red card in the second half. Equity, who are pursuing their first league title, refused to relent. A brief lapse in concentration by the Falcons allowed a slender one-goal lead to disappear, with Equity scoring three quick goals to seize control of the match. The game eventually ended 27-23 in favour of Equity, handing the Falcons a third consecutive defeat.
While the result was disappointing, the performance offered several positives. The Falcons displayed excellent tactical awareness and intelligent movement, with an attractive style of play. However, they currently sit tenth in the league standings, just above the relegation zone.
The team will hope to draw inspiration from the recent national team call-ups of three of its players. Moses Munasi, Brandon Barasa, and John Daniel Hongo recently represented Kenya’s Under-20 national team at the IHF Zone Five Trophy Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Falcons coach Martin Kamau also earned his maiden national team call-up, joining the technical bench as part of the coaching staff. Kenya finished third at the championship and secured qualification for the African Championship set to take place in Ivory Coast this September.
With eight matches remaining, the Falcons men’s team still has plenty to play for. Their focus will be on converting encouraging performances into positive results as they battle to preserve their Premier League status and avoid relegation.
