St Anthony, Moi Girls Nangili relinquish national crowns
What you need to know:
- Nationals set to be played at Kisumu Polytechnic next weekend
- Wiyeta girls high school have an opportunity to reclaim the title and be the only team to have won the national title twice
There will be new winners in this year’s Under-16 Copa Coca-Cola football competition when the nationals takes place in Kisumu County from July 30 to August 3.
This is after defending champions St Antony High School and Moi Girls Nangili from Rift Valley and Western respectively were knocked out during the region’s preliminary matches held last month.
The competition will be held at Kisumu National Polytechnic with a total of 32 games being played.
The winning teams in both boys’ and girls’ categories will thereafter represent Kenya in the second edition of the Copa Coca-Cola Africa to be staged on a later date in the year.
The absence of Moi girls Nangili gives the 2016 champions Wiyeta girls high school an opportunity to reclaim the title and be the only team to have won the national title twice.
The Rift Valley girls’ football heavyweights have been pooled in group A alongside Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School (Nairobi Region), Njabini Girls Secondary School (Central Region) and Ugari Mixed Secondary School (Nyanza Region).
Last year’s third runners-up Waa Girls Secondary School (Coast region) are pooled in group B where they will face Kobala Mixed Secondary School (Nyanza region), Maeni Girls Secondary School (Western region) and Itaara Secondary School (Eastern region).
In the boys’ category, Pool A comprises Goseta Boys High School (Rift Valley Region), Koyonzo Secondary School (Western Region), Serani Secondary School (Coastal region) and Gatamaiyu High School (Central Region).
In Pool B, Dagoretti High School will be seeking to continue their impressive performance in the Nairobi regional championship by lifting the title.
They will face Agoro Sare Secondary School (Nyanza Region), Machakos Boys High School (Eastern Region) and a representative from the North Eastern Region.
The games sponsor Coca Cola will also renovate pitches of one school per region (former provinces) in what it terms “an environmental behaviour change campaign”.
A total of 5,400 schools registered and participated for a chance to be inaugurated as the national champions and earn a direct ticket to the Copa Coca-Cola Africa Cup.
