St Anthony’s Boys High School from Rift Valley Region will face Nairobi’s Dagoretti High School in the boys’ under 19 football final of the Secondary Schools National Term Two Games at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu on Saturday.
Dagoretti saw off last year’s finalists Olbolosat Secondary School from Central Region 3-1 in Friday’s first semi at Moi Stadium, while 2012 champions St Anthony’s Boys beat debutantes Ebwali High School from Western Region 6-5 on post-match penalties in the second semis. The two sides were tied at 0-0 after 120 minutes.
In the girls’ category, home side Nyakach Girls High School will take on former champions Itigo High School from Rift Valley in the final.
Nyakach Girls upset former champions Archbishop Njenga 2-0, while Itigo thrashed Njabini Girls High School from Central 4-0 in the semis.
Dagoretti, who lost to eventual winners Kakamega High School in the semis in Eldoret last year, opened the scoring through Paul Odhiambo in the third minute after finishing off a delightful move.
However, Adan Rashid equalised for last year’s beaten finalists 12 minutes later.
Dagoretti however regained the lead in the 21 minute as Derick Omondi connected well with Paul Odhiambo’s cross for a 2-1 lead at the break.
Twenty minutes upon resumption, Simon Omondi put the game to bed with a twenty yards’ strike.
Speaking after the match, Dagoretti head coach Joseph Makhoha attributed their victory to good preparations.
“Last year we failed to reach the final something that made us to embark on serous training. I am ready to meet any team in the final,” he said.
His counterpart, Simon Wakimashia noted that his team comprised of young players after a bulk of the team that reached last year’s final, finished school.
“We are really struggling to build this team again, most of our players are in Form One and that really cost us,” he said.
In the second semi-final, St Anthony’s and Ebwali were unable to break the deadlock in normal and extra-time in a game of few chances.
St Anthony’s attacking midfielder Godfrey Onchwati missed a penalty in the second half as Ebwali ‘s goalkeeper Brian Lungafwa pulled off a fine save.
In the shootout, Gilbert Ndiema and Kelvin Owalla failed to score for Ebwali as Shamon Ashwar missed for St Anthony’s.
“It has been a difficult match and at one point we had lost hope since our opponents were more tactical than us” said St Anthony’s head coach Peter Mayoyo.
Ebwali coach Francis Wahome accused the centre referee of been biased.
“Everybody saw that the referee was against us, I am really disappointed by the results,” he said
