Kathungi's tough balancing act

Ibrahim Shambi of Kathungi High School heads the ball during training at Upperhill High School as they prepare for a One week Airtel-Man U Camp in Tanzania on Tuesday 22nd April, 2014. Photo/Jonah Onyango.

Eight teams will be battling for the boys' football title during this year's Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association national Term Two B games in Nyeri next week.

Among the eight, Kathungi High School stands out. The Eastern Region champions are outstanding for having maintained consistency and are featuring in the national games for the fifth consecutive year.

Teams come and go, but Kathungi have qualified in every national games championships. Whenever the list of eight is drawn, their name features prominently. They will be making their fifth attempt at the national title in Nyeri and hope to finally get it right.

Their best performance was a second-place finish in 2013, when they lost to Upper Hill in Embu.

This year, they are gearing up for battle and their main objective is a podium finish and a ticket to Gulu, Uganda, for the East Africa Games.

 

Top-three finish

Kathungi coach Ibrahim Naika said a top-three finish was attainable for his players.

"We are setting realistic goals because competition has become very stiff over the years. However, targeting the top three does not mean we don't want the trophy. We also have our eyes on the ultimate prize," Naika said.

Kathungi are in Group A together with 12-time national champions Kakamega of Western, hosts and 2015 winners Passenga and a North Eastern team (the region will hold their finals this weekend).

Kathungi will be captained by James Mutua, who was declared the most promising player during the 2014 edition. They will meet Kakamega's Green Commandos in their opening match.

They will rely on the services of their zealous striker, Dennis Malombe, who has scored 14 goals in this year's campaign, and midfielder Kelvin Mwenda.