The long wait is over: Upper Hill lift boys' regional football title

NAIROBI COUNTY SECONDARY SCHOOLS TERM 2 B Patrick Munyao (left) of Our Lady of Fatima challenge Augustine Wafula of Lenana during Term 2 B Games at Lenana School on Friday, June 15, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

After three years of missed chances, former champs qualify for national finals.

Former national boys and girls football champions Upper Hill and Olympic Mixed are this year's Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Term Two B champions.

The victory ended Upper Hill's three-year wait as they booked a ticket to this year's national games set for Nyeri next month.

Upper Hill earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Highway Secondary School in the boys' final as Olympic defeated State House Girls 7-0 in the girls' contest.

An esctatic Upper Hill Coach Joseph Makokha lauded his charges for their good fight saying he is confident they will improve and perform better in Nyeri.

"It was a very tough final and we had to dig deep to ensure we emerged victorious. It has been three years of pain and heartbreak, but I'm glad we made it. We look forward to better performance at the nationals," Makokha said.

Bakari Shabah's 16th minute header from John Odira's free-kick made the difference between the two sides. Highway dominated the second half as they searched for an equaliser, but their strikers failed them when it mattered most.

The girls' final was a one-sided affair as Olympic easily retained their title and seal a place in the nationals. Reybellah Inyanje scored a hat-trick to inspire the 2013 national winners to victory.

Meanwhile, former national boys volleyball champions Hospital Hill laboured to a 3-1 (25-14, 16-25, 25-22, 25-13) victory over Moi Forces Academy (MFA).