St Joseph's Girls' Kitale Chief Principal Rosebella Orwaru inspects a tunnel of honour mounted by her girls/ANGWENYI GICHANAFavourites St Joseph’s Girls' Kitale will lock horns with Nyamira Girls' in the hockey final at the ongoing Brookside national secondary school games in Kisumu on Saturday.
St Joseph’s Girls', the reigning Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) and Nyamira, former FEASSA champions, will rekindle their fierce rivalry at Kisumu Day.
In Friday’s semi-finals, St Joseph’s Girls' Kitale, popularly known as JOGA, beat AIC Nyayo to progress to the final. Valarie Imisa, Audrey Greener, Cherish Kanini, and Elizabeth Mapesa struck for St Joseph’s Kitale.
Nyamira stunned Nyanza champions Ng’iya Girls' 2-1 on flicks. Nyamira came down from two goals down in the fourth quarter to hold Ng’iya to a 2-2 draw.
The teams battled to a barren draw in the opening game. JOGA coach John Lusaka expects a tactical final. However, he is brimming with confidence, sayng, “It will be a tough final. However, I expect my girls to give their all. All the energies that will explode in the final. We must be tactically astute to beat Nyamira."
Nyamira coach Denis Kigai attributed the win to the girls’ composure under pressure and to the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Cecilia Akinyi.
On the final against JOGA, Kigai said: “We are not under pressure at all. We have been on this stage. We shall apply the same tactics as we did in the semis. Our defense must be strong because JOGA is lethal in attack.”
Nyamira will be up against AIC Nyayo in the third place play off.
In the boys’ hockey category, it will be a battle of familiar foes as Friends School Kamusinga battle St Anthony’s Kitale. A fierce battle is expected against the former national champions.
St Anthony’s Kitale coached by Kevin Lugalia overcame hosts Our Lady of Mercy Ringa Boys 1-0 in a tightly contested match to progress to the final. Kevin Onyango scored the all-important goal for Le Titans.
In the second semi-final, 12-time champions Friends School Kamusinga beat hosts Kisumu Day by a lone goal to advance to the final. Captain Annan Kurere scored the vital goal for Les Titans in the game that was played at Kisumu Day.
Lugalia predicted an epic final against Kamusinga. “All the teams want to win it badly. We have not won in three years, and I expect all the teams to put up a fight. It will be an interesting final,” said Lugalia.
Kisumu Day, the Nyanza region champions, will renew their rivalry with Ringa Boys in the third-place play-off on Saturday morning.
New champions will be crowned following the elimination of Musingu during the Western region championships.
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