Why 2025 was a good year for Kenya's polo players

Kenya's Joe Kamau (right) and Bashir Bashir Dantata of Nigeria during Lagos Incoming tour for Simon Kuseyo memorial cup at Nairobi Polo club. Nov 9, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

2025 was a year national polo teams dominated and only lost in one assignment in Africa and around the globe.

It was a year riders enjoyed what they did during international assignments after a rigorous selection process during local matches as they won different accolades with their ponies.

Kenya started the international campaign in April in the Simon Kuseyo Memorial Cup, which is an annual return-match-tournament between Kenya and Nigeria.

With the match hosted at Lagos Polo Club, Kenya smashed the West Africans 6.5-5 with the high riding international youngster Amani ‘Spider’ Nzomo emerging as the Most Valuable Player.

Amani scored a hat-trick ahead of his elder brother Jadini ‘Punter’ Nzomo’s double from well-connected assists of Vishal Somaia and Raphael (Nzomo) to the chagrin of the West Africans who could not believe they lost at their backyard. 

The Nigerians squad included Baba Dankata, Munir, Bowale and Mohammed Dangote.

Dangote replied with a double while the rest of the goals was shared between the trio.

The late Simon Kuseyo was a Kenyan polo star who died in a Kenya Airways plane crash in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 2000 on his way to Kenya having featured in a polo tournament in Nigeria days before the crash.

The event was later played in his honour.

Falling at home irked the Nigerians who vowed to avenge in the return match.

In the second international assignment that was against Zimbabwe at Thornpark Polo Club in Harare in June, Kenya lifted the Calvary Cup after smashing the Zimbabweans 8.5-5 in the finals.

Before that, Kenya had lost 6.5-6 in the first match and thereafter won the second one by the same margin ahead of the final.

The Kenyan squad included Jose Craig, Will Millar, Charley Morley and Captain Geoff Morley.

Geoff was not happy with the first results but promised to turn tables in the subsequent matches.

“We started badly but were determined to make a comeback despite using foreign horses. Our big failure was we didn’t identify the right Zimbabwean horses to use in the first match. After a good assessment of this anomaly, we came out victorious in the subsequent matches,” Geoff told Standard Sports from Harare.

In their third international match in August, Kenya registered another victory another against Zambia to win the Swinburn Trophy at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil.

Being a round robin event, Kenya Shujaa settled for a 5-5 draw against Zambia to collect maximum six points to emerge victorious.

The team of Archie Voorspuy, Harry Stichbury, Amani and Hiromi Nzomo was a joy to watch with Voorspuy scoring all the five goals from the efforts of Amani and Hiromi in the fight for top honours.

"It was a tough match but it was a good experience. Tougher than last year," said Amani.

On the Zambian side, it was Jake Coventry who returned four of their goals with Damien Harris managing one, all spread in the four chukkas.

Zambia captain Tristan Clayton paid a glowing tribute to Kenyan players for the warm reception and use of their horses.

"Despite not emerging victorious, we appreciate your magnanimous support but it’s all fun," he said.

Isaac Maina's pony christened Bella was voted the Best Playing Pony (BPP).

In September it was the turn of South Africa to test Kenya’s might in the 17-Goal-Kenya International Cup at Nairobi Polo Club.

Kenya defeated the stubborn South Africans 8-7 to lift the title to keep their winning streak globally.

From there, they were awarded The Afrisend Shield.

Casimir Gross had a sterling performance scoring six goals in addition to Jamie Murray's double.

South Africa scored through Watson brothers in Duncan who hit five in addition to Martin's double.

Martin (Watson) said "the event was competitive right from the preparatory matches,".

The BPPs were 2015 owned by Kimoi Moi and Nameless owned by Philip Arunga.

Irked by the first loss during the Simon Kuseyo Memorial Cup in Lagos, the Nigerians were back in Nairobi for a revenge mission in November for the Lagos International Cup.

While breathing fire, they smashed Kenya 4-2 as Khalifa Dangote scooped the Most Valuable Player title just the same way Amani did in Lagos.

This time, the Nigerians came with a carefully selected squad of Dimeji Aluko (0), Sadique Dantata (1), Mohammed Sani Dangote (1) and top player and handicap 3 Bashir Dantata with two reserve players of Khalifa Dangote (0) and Usman Dantata (0) to destroy the Kenyans

The Kenyan team was made of Kimoi Moi (2), Mbu Ngugi (2), Jamie Excell (1) and Joe Kamau (0).  

Again Bashir (Dantata) emerged top scorer with three goals while using the nine year-old-horse christened Memo owned by Raphael Nzomo to destroy the Kenyan side.

Memo was later voted BPP. Raphael said it was the latest kid on the blocks in his stable.

"Memo is a fantastic horse from South Africa having brought it on board to our stable last year. It's a good one," Raphael (Nzomo) had said.

Mohammed Sani Dangote said: "You people have good horses and some of the best in Africa and it was good using them".