Nyakach Girls defended their county football title, while Kisumu Day, the former Kisumu County champions, and were knocked out in the semis at Maseno School over the weekend.
In the girls’ competition, Nyakach Girls won 3-1 against Kudho in the final to retain their regional title. They had qualified for the final by defeating Nyakoko Mixed 2-0 in the semi-finals, following earlier wins of 6-0 against Migingo and 4-0 against Tieng’re.
It was the first time in five consecutive years that Kisumu Day failed to reach the final, losing 1-2 to Katolo Secondary School in a tight match.
In their previous matches, Kisumu Day defeated Maseno School 3-0 and won 4-0 against Kasagam Secondary. However, their momentum was halted by a 2-0 loss to Nyakoko in their last Group A match, followed by a loss to Katolo in the semis.
Kennedy Ochieng opened the scoring for Kisumu Day in the 24th minute, connecting Bravon Ochieng’s pass.
Despite their efforts, John Otieno’s long-range effort equalized for Katolo ten minutes later. In added time, Katolo scored their winning goal, denying Kisumu Day the chance to advance.
Booker Odhiambo, head coach of Kisumu Day, expressed disappointment and hope for the future: “We gave our best, but in football, there is always a winner and a loser. Today, we have fallen into the latter category. We will learn from our mistakes and work on little things that allowed our opponents to beat us in the final minutes.”
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The final match between Katolo and Agai, who defeated Kisumu Boys 4-0 in their semi-final, ended a 1-1 draw, and the winner has not yet been determined. Kisumu Day filed appeal against Katolo for allegedly playing ineligible players.
Chrispin Odindo, Nyakach’s football coach, spoke confidently about their future goals: “Our aim is to prove our dominance not only in regional competitions but also in the national arena. We have exceptionally talented players in our squad.”
In rugby, Maseno School clinched the Kisumu County 7s rugby title by defeating Otieno Oyoo High 7-0 in a tightly contested match.
The goal was accomplished two minutes before the final whistle when Fidel Patrick used the opportunity to score, while Winston Ngulu scored a 7-0 lead which Maseno defended until the final whistle.
Despite their defeat, Maseno School and Otieno Oyoo High School qualified for the Nyanza finals in Kisii.
In the girls’ category, Nyakach Girls showed confidence and never gave up after coming from 10-0 down to beat Ojola 32-10 to become the Kisumu County Secondary School rugby champions 2024.
Nyakach Girls beat Lions High School 5-0 and Sinyolo Girls 34-0 in their preliminary round.
By Fredrick Odiero
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