St Anthony and Kisumu Day lock horns in schools tourney

Nzoia Region’s St Anthony’s boys will lock horns with last year’s runners-up Kisumu Day (Lake Region) today in their last pool A match of the Airtel Rising Stars secondary school term 2B games currently on at Machakos High School.

The group A battle is expected to be closely fought by the two schools, who are both favourites to lift the trophy in the absence of last year’s winners Kakamega High.

Four-time champions St Anthony’s, who last won the national title in 2012 in Mombasa against Upper Hill, beat Highland Region’s Kathungi 4-2 in their opening match on Tuesday, while Kisumu Day also recorded a 3-0 win over Garissa High from Northern Region.

The match will be a repeat of the 2005 national final held in Kakamega, with Nzoia Region reigning supreme. Kisumu Day coach Dan Otieno told FeverPitch they will not take any chances and will treat every encounter as a final. “Until we have the trophy in our hands, we will not consider ourselves as favourites. All teams here are capable of winning the title and there is no room for mistakes.”

The other pool will see Kathungi take on Garissa High in a must-win match for the Highland Region champions as they seek to qualify for the semi-finals.

In Pool B, Metropolitan Region’s Laiser Hill will take on Waa Boys from Coast Region, while Passenga from Aberdares Region tackle Simotwo from Mau Region as the pool matches come to a close.

In girls’ football, Olympic from Metropolitan Region play St John’s from Coast in what should be a cracking tie in Pool A, while Nzoia champions Wiyeta face Kirigara from Highland Region. In Pool B, Kobala take on Nginda to see which team tops the pool. Eburu face Kikina. The ‘mother of all battles’ is expected in the boys’ volleyball where perennial rivals Hospital Hill of Metropolitan and Cheptil of Mau Region will come face to face.

The outcome of the match is a puzzle as the two have registered mixed results in their previous meets. During the 2012 finals in Mombasa, Cheptil beat Hospital Hill to be crowned champions. In the 2013 finals at Kangaru Boys, Hospital Hill turned tables to win their maiden national title.

In other boys’ fixtures, Ngungani (Highlands) face off with defending champions Malava of Nzoia. And 2004 winners Tetu Boys will play Coast’s Mivumoni as Lake Region’s Pe-Hill meet Garissa High in the last games of the day.

Kwanthanze tackle Sega Girls of Lake Region in their last pool A match. Lugulu, who last won the national championships in 2010, are hoping to end a four-year trophy drought to reclaim their lost glory when they play St John’s Kaloleni while AIC Kosirai invites Net from Northern region.