Over 4,000 schools enter Copa Coca-Cola football tourney

Over 4,000 secondary schools from across the country will take part in this year’s Copa Coca- Cola football tournament.

This is an increase from the 2,000 schools that played in last year’s edition, organisers revealed on Saturday during the tournament launch at Upper Hill High School, Nairobi.

The popular football talent search tournament made a return to the local scene last year after a year absence.

Organisers partnered with the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) for the first time last year with the under-16 football tournament introduced in the Term Two A games in a three year-deal to the tune of Sh15 million.

The Term Two A games had previously featured rugby sevens, handball, netball and athletics.

St Anthony’s Boys Kitale and Wiyeta Girls Secondary School were crowned the inaugural winners during the KSSSA Term Two A Games held at the Kangaru School, Embu County last June. 

St Anthony’s beat Aberdare region’s Wahundura High 1-0 in boys’ final while Wiyeta saw off Abwao Secondary from Nyanza (formerly Lake) region 4-0 in the girls’ category.

Coca Cola Marketing Manager Lucy Oduor said the aim was to ensure more youth got to play football. “We are targeting more than 100,000 students this year and after last year’s success, we believe more talent has been discovered from across the country,” Oduor said on Saturday.

“Our purpose is to demonstrate that sports goes beyond games and we aim to inculcate good virtues in our players.”

The competition, which has already started at the sub-county levels, will culminate at this year’s National Term Two A Games to be held at the Shimo la Tewa Secondary School, Mombasa from June 3 to 10.

Schools from KSSSA’s eight regions - Nairobi, Rift Valley, Coast, Aberdares, Eastern, Western, Northern and Nyanza are taking part. Coca-Cola have sponsored the tourney for Sh15 million.