Solidarity Boys out to reclaim lost glory in Rwanda

St Anthony's Boys Kitale's Aldrine Kibet (left) of celebrates with teammate after scoring a gaol against Shanderema Boys in Kakamega last week. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Reigning National Secondary Schools boy's football champions St Anthony's Boys Kitale believe they were born to lead and have vowed to restore their glory that was lost 21 years ago when the East Africa Secondary School games were first held in Nairobi.

If anything, the Solidarity Boys have confirmed they are not quitters and their mission in Huye, Rwanda where the 2023 games will be held from tomorrow to August 27 is to reclaim the title they won in 2002.

St Anthony's open their title quest on Sunday with a match against St Henry Kitovu of Uganda in a battle of Saints schools.

Kenya's Shanderema test the waters against Rwanda's CGFK tomorrow while Dagoretti face St Mary's Kitende later on Sunday.

The football trophy has been an Ugandan affair but St Anthony's head coach Peter Mayoyo believes he has a hit squad that will reclaim the title in Rwanda. Barding School is the other Kenyan team that won the regional trophy once in 2016 also in Nairobi.

"We are equally tough. We are going for the title, " said Mayoyo, who is one of the celebrated school coaches in the country.

"I have enough arsenal to face my opponents. This time round we are unstoppable."

According to the history of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) games, no school has lifted the title more than Uganda's St Mary's Kitende (SMASK). They have won the championship a record 13 times. The Ugandan Kings retained the title for eleven years between 2004 and 2014. They were then dethroned by their Ugandan counterparts, Buddo SS, in 2018 at Musanze, Rwanda, after overcoming hosts LDK 4-3 in post match spot kicks.

Kitende reclaimed the trophy in 2019 after edgeding out rivals Buddo SS via a solitary goal, in the final played at Sheik Abeid stadium in Arusha,Tanzania.

Last year, Kitende were eliminated at the semi-finals stage by Kenya's Highway.
Kibuli SS went on to lift the boys' football trophy with a 2-0 win over Highway in the final in Arusha, Tanzania.

At this year's games, St Mary's Kitende has been drawn in group B alongside Kenya's, Dagoretti High, Kibuli SS (Uganda), Kiwira Coal Mine (Tanzania) and Rwandese champions Ecose Musambira.

Group A has St Anthony's Boys, Tanzanian champions Kalangalala and Uganda's Amus College. Other teams in the group are Shanderema (Kenya), College George De Fox De Kagarama (CGFK) and Uganda's St. Henry's College.