Highway and Butere crowned national soccer champions in Kisii

In a thrilling display of determination and skill, Highway Secondary School emerged as the new national boys’ football champions, triumphing over Musingu High in a nail-biting final at Gusii Stadium, Kisii. The match, which ended 1-1 after regular and extra time, was decided by a dramatic penalty shootout, with Highway clinching a 3-2 victory.

The match’s hero, Boaz Muchiri, Highway’s goalkeeper, saved two crucial penalties, securing his team’s victory. Musingu struck first with an 11th-minute goal by Elvis Ochieng, but Highway quickly equalized just eight minutes later through Alvin Oloo. Despite being reduced to 10 men after captain Miguel Osotsi was shown a red card, Highway held on to force the match into penalties.

“We came here with a purpose, and today, we have achieved it,” said Highway coach Beldine Odemba, who is also the coach of the Harambee Starlets. “We knew we were playing against the best in the country, so when we lost a player, we had to switch to a more tactical approach and motivate our boys to work even harder.”

In the girls’ soccer final, Butere Girls defended their title with a commanding 2-0 win over Nyakach Girls. Lorna Faith put Butere ahead in the 18th minute, and Mercy Sakwa sealed the victory with a 72nd-minute penalty.

In other sports, Kwanthanze triumphed in the girls’ volleyball final, defeating former champions Kesogon Girls 3-2 in a closely contested match. Cheptil claimed the national boys’ volleyball title by overcoming East Africa champions Namwela in a 3-2 thriller.

Oyugi Ogango retained their National Netball champion title with a convincing 58-33 win over Bumala AC, while Bwake lifted the rugby 7s trophy after edging out Vihiga 12-7.

In basketball 3×3, St Joseph’s Boys Kitale narrowly beat Onjiko Boys 16-14 to claim the national title, while St Joseph’s Girls Kitale defeated Butere 11-10 to become the girls’ champions.

All these victorious teams will represent Kenya at the East Africa Games in Mbale, Uganda, starting on August 18, 2024. Preparations are set to begin in Kakamega as the teams gear up for the regional competition.