Wiyeta Girls keep eyes on record 8th national football title
Wiyeta Girls celebrate with their 2017 girls' football trophy at the Airtel Rising Stars National Secondary Schools Term Two B Games on July 8, 2017 at Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI |
What you need to know:
- Tembesi is one of the 10 players from last year’s double-winning squad still in the team.
- “We have a blend of youth and experience in the team and each player is hungry for more glory,” said Manyara.
National and East African girls’ football champions Wiyeta Girls Secondary School will leave nothing to chance as they bid to successfully retain their title at this year’s Term Two National Secondary School Games.
The Trans Nzoia county-based school are favourites to clinch a record eighth title at the annual games which get underway on Monday at the Hill School, Eldoret.
Wiyeta comfortably sealed their place in the nationals after retaining their Rift Valley Region crown with a 2-0 win over Itigo Girls in the finals.
Goals from Diana Musilivu and Jackline Baraza fired Wiyeta to the crown. The Edgar Manyara –coached side have been placed in Pool A during the nationals and they will clash with returnees Archbishop Njenga Girls High School from Western region, Eastern’s Matuu Memorial and Kwale Girls from the Coast.
Coach Manyara is not underestimating any teams and has warned against any form of complacency from his charges.
“In 2015, we won the title and the following year we lost it. This shows the competitiveness of these games and we therefore have to be at our best to retain the title,” Manyara said.
Wiyeta needed post-match penalties to beat Ibinzo Girls 3-1 in last year’s finals with keeper Diana Tembesi the heroine after stopping three penalties.
Tembesi is one of the 10 players from last year’s double-winning squad still in the team.
“We have a blend of youth and experience in the team and each player is hungry for more glory,” said Manyara.
Upfront, Wiyeta will rely on the deadly trio of Genetrix Shikwanga, Jackline Baraza and Rhoda Nafula to fire the goals in the under-19 football showpiece.
With Wiyeta winning last year’s East African crown, Kenya will send three teams in the discipline at this year’s games set for next month in Musanze, Rwanda.
The school’s under-16 side will also be out to reclaim the title they relinquished to Olympic Mixed last year in Mombasa. Wiyeta had won the inaugural edition of the competition in 2016 in Embu following its inclusion in the school games calendar.
In Pool B of the girls’ under-19 football, the 2013 winners Olympic will be out to end their four-year wait for the title. The Nairobi Region representatives failed to make it past the group stages last year in Nyeri despite a relatively easy pool.
This time, Olympic are in a tricky pool that has last year’s bronze medallists Kobala Mixed from Nyanza, Rift Valley’s Itigo Girls and Central’s Nginda Girls.
