St Joseph's Girls, Kitale celebrate after clinching the KSSSA national title at MPesa Academy in Thika/ANGWENYI GICHANAReigning national girls’ football champions St Joseph’s Girls, Kitale, face a stern test in their bid to reclaim the East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) title after being handed a tough draw for the regional games in Morogoro, Tanzania.
The FEASSA Games will be held from August 13 to 23, with St Joseph’s Girls, popularly known as JOGA, placed in Pool B alongside Ugandan powerhouses Amus College and Boni Consili Girls, as well as Tanzania’s Alliance and Kilombero.
Kenya’s other representatives, Nyakach Girls, have landed in Pool A, where they will face Rwanda’s PSB Huye, Tanzania’s Fountain Gate and Ziba, and Uganda’s Jinja Progressive Academy and Rines Secondary School.
A new champion is guaranteed in the girls’ competition after last year’s winners St Noah Girls of Uganda failed to feature in this year’s championship.
JOGA and Nyakach will now carry Kenya’s hopes of ending the country’s long wait for the regional crown. The two sides are currently camping at MPesa Foundation Academy in Thika ahead of their departure for Tanzania on Tuesday afternoon.
Kenya last won the girls’ football title in 2018 through Kwale Girls. Other Kenyan schools to have lifted the trophy include Wiyeta Girls, Archbishop Njenga Girls, Tartar Girls, Jera Mixed and New Jogoo Road.
Nyakach coach Chrispine Odindo acknowledged the challenge posed by the draw but said his side was determined to go a step further after falling in the semi-finals in previous appearances. “It’s a tough draw because we shall face teams that are experienced. Some of the teams have been to the East Africa games previously,” said Odindo.
“This will be our fourth time participating in the East Africa games. In the previous editions, we were eliminated in the semis; this time, we are targeting to reach the finals.”
Meanwhile, JOGA coach Francis Ojillo has set his sights on the ultimate prize. “We want to carry Kenya’s flag high in Tanzania. We want to represent the country well and compete for the title,” he said.
In netball, newly crowned national champions Andersen Mixed face Uganda’s St Noah Girls and Hamdan Islamic School, alongside Tanzania’s Mbeya and Vwawa in Pool B.
Kenya’s St Monica Bukokholo are in Pool A with defending champions St Mary’s Kitende of Uganda, Tanzania’s Mkolani and Uganda’s Light College Katikamu.
In hockey, national and East Africa champions St Joseph’s Girls Kitale begin their title defence in Pool A against compatriots Ng’iya Girls, Uganda’s Mt St Mary’s College Namagunga and Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa.
In boys’ football, Friends School Kamusinga and national champions St Anthony’s Kitale will seek to restore Kenya’s pride after Kakungulu Memorial of Uganda won the title last year in Kakamega.
Kamusinga headline Pool A alongside Tanzania’s Arusha Meru and Uganda’s Kakungulu Memorial and Namilyango College.
Pool B features St Anthony’s Kitale, Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa and Uganda’s Mbarara High School and Ntare School.
