Dagoretti and Lenana host Nairobi region championships

What you need to know:

  • At stake will be the various titles and of course, slots to next month’s National Games in Kisumu.

Stakes will be high as the Nairobi Region Term Two Secondary School Games enter their business end on Thursday at Lenana and Dagoretti Schools.

After last weekend’s preliminary stages that featured close to 50 schools, the quarterfinals take centre stage Thursday morning, with the semi-finals and finals set for Friday and Saturday respectively.

At stake will be the various titles and of course, slots to next month’s National Games in Kisumu.

There were no upsets witnessed in the preliminary stages with the various champions and favourites easily navigating from their respective pools to the knockout stage of the competition.

In boys’ under-19 football, champions Dagoretti High will have home advantage as they face Aquinas Boys High School.

Dagoretti topped their pool after winning all their matches and should be too strong for the Eastlands-based Aquinas. However, Dagoretti coach Joseph Makokha expects a close encounter.

“At this stage of the competition, there is no room for making mistakes and that is why we will avoid any complacency because every team is formidable,” Makokha said. The duo of Simon Omondi and Marko Deng, who ran riot in the preliminary stage, will be the danger men for Dagoretti.

Former winners Upper Hill take on Langata High School at Lenana School, while the last two quarter-finals will see Jamhuri tackle Brown Hill, as Kamukunji renew hostilities with Nairobi School. In the girls’ matches, holders Olympic will be up against St Anne’s Girls.

The former national champions have dominated football in the city and it will take something special from St Anne’s to stop them. In other matches, Huruma face Kamukunji, Kariobangi North play Dagoretti Mixed and former winners Maina Wanjigi will be up against Loreto.

In the boys’ Under-16 Copa Coca-Cola football, champions Upper Hill will be the wary of a tricky Moi Forces Academy in their last eight clash. Gilbert Walusimbi’s Upper Hill just scrapped through past the group stage and will hope for an improved show.

Last year’s finalists Dagoretti face Ofafa Jericho, Uhuru clash with Waylight and Lenana train guns on Langata.

In volleyball, champions Soweto Academy (girls) and Langata will fancy their chances of advancing to the semis. Soweto face Nembu as Langata come up against Starehe.

“There are no teams in this stage and we will need to be at our very best if we hope to go to the semis, “Langata coach Francis Mwangi said.