Machakos Boys High football team will proceed to the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) regional championships after a successful appeal against Tala Boys High School.
The controversy arose when Machakos Boys discovered that Tala Boys had fielded ineligible players during their final match.
Machakos Boys lodged a formal complaint by writing to the Secretary of the Machakos KSSSA detailing how Tala Boys had violated the rules by including players who were not genuine students of the school.
“Kindly note that we are making an official appeal against Tala High School soccer team on the grounds of finding an ineligible player in our final match,” read the letter in part.
“According to the KESSHA rule 11B (eligibility of participation), playing in all teams, the player must be a bona fide student who has played in their respective school for not less than 90 days before the start of preliminary games except for form ones,” it read further.
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Machakos Boys emphasized the importance of fair play and integrity in school sports. They requested the association to not only ban the ineligible player from all school games but also to take appropriate disciplinary actions against Tala Boys to uphold the rules.
The final match had been a tightly contested game that ended in a penalty shootout, with Tala Boys narrowly defeating Machakos Boys 5-4. The revelation of ineligible players cast a shadow over Tala Boys’ victory.
In an interview with Education News, Joseph Manoo, the Principal of Machakos Boys High School, expressed his disappointment over the incident. He stressed that such practices should not be tolerated in school sports, which are meant to foster fair competition and sportsmanship. Manoo also extended his best wishes to his team as they prepare for the regional championships, expressing confidence in their abilities and hoping for a successful outcome.
With the appeal granted, Machakos Boys now looks forward to proving their worth on a larger stage at the regional level, determined to uphold the values of fair play and integrity in every match.
By Our reporter
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