Laiser Hill Academy, The Metropolitan region boys’ football defending champions qualified for the semi-finals of this year’s term 2B games after winning both their matches on day one of the championship at the Nyayo National Stadium on Thursday.
Laiser beat Muvuti 7-0 in their first match before seeing off Kibera’s Olympic High 2-0 in a tougher duel later on. They now need just a point off their final match against Ngaaka to top the group and meet the second placed team from Group B.
The Kajiado based school were inspired by Musa Masika, sibling to Kenyan international Ayub Masika. The pintsized winger terrorized the Muvuti backline in the first match and his crafty footwork in the tenth minute led to Laiser opening the scores through Kennedy Mwangi.
He completed the match with a hatrick with Eugene Rapeno hitting a brace while Richard Odanda and Eddy Ochieng scored a goal each.
They faced a tougher test in their second match against Olympic and had to wait until the second half to break the deadlock. Charles Owino scored twice to wade off the pressure from Olympic who gave a good account of themselves.
Olympic face Muvuti in their final group match on Friday. This is expected to be a fierce fight for the group’s second ticket to the semis with both having won one of their matches.
Both schools won 2-1 against Ngaaka. If Laiser pick a point against the bottom side Ngaaka on Friday, chances are they might meet up with Upper Hill who risk a second spot finish in Group B.
The finalists from last year were shocked 1-0 by Kajiado’s Brother Beausang who had earlier beaten Kimanza 6-0. They have three points having picked a 4-0 win against Utithi who are third with three points as well, having won 2-1 against Kimanza courtesy of goals from Peter Mudi and Nicholas Mui.
Leonard Kimeu scored Kimanza’s consolation.
Upper Hill face Kimanza in the final group match and if they lose and Utithi manages to upset Brother Beausang in the final group match then Upper Hill might be out of the championship.
In the girls’ category, defending champions Olympic finished day one on top of group B with four points after picking a point against Matuu Memorial and thumping Kajiado’s Ilbisil 5-0.
Matuu are also on four points though with an inferior goal difference after beating Utithi 4-1 in their second group match.
In group A, Maina Wanjigi finished top with four points after beating Kimuka PCEA 3-1 and picking a point against Mua Hills. The latter are second with two points after another draw against Kikima.
Green Commandos exit in Nzoia
There was disappointment in the Nzoia Region with perennial favorites Kakamega High School being eliminated in the group stages.
The ‘Green Commandos’ lost their third match 1-0 to Lokichar meaning they exited the tournament with only a single point.
Despite the fan and flare they had arrived with at the Lodwar Primary School where the games are played, the Brendan-Mwinamo coached side who have won the national title 11 times will now head back to the drawing board.
Arch-rivals St. Anthony’s Kitale will face off with Bukembe in the final after both won their semi-final matches 2-0 against Butula and Kapenguria respectively.
In the girls’ category, Tartar and Wiyeta have set up an exciting finale after both won their semi-final matches. Tartar, former East Africa champions beat Archbishop Njenga by a solitary goal while Wiyeta were more emphatic, beating Our Lady of Mercy 3-1.
Volleyball
Back to volleyball in the Metropolitan Region at the Nyayo Stadium, girls’ defending champions Kwanthanze from Machakos strolled to a straight sets win in their opening match against Kajiado’s Noonkopir.
The volleyball queens who are national and East African champions strolled to an easy win in sets of 25-5, 25-11 and 25-12.
“This year I have seen that the level has risen quite a bit and there’s some sort of competition. But I still believe we are strong and we will be able to defend our title. We should not be complacent though, just maintain our tempo and treat each match seriously,” Justine Kigwiri, the Machakos-based school coach told Sports News Arena.
In the other girls’ matches, Nembu Girls were 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-16) winners over Utithi while Soweto Girls were made to sweat before beating Nduluni from Makueni 3-0 (25-16. 25-20, 25-21).
In the boys’ category, defending champions Hospital Hill were in a class of their own, qualifying for the semis after winning all their opening two matches by straight sets against Oloitoktok (25-11, 25-7, 25-14) and Kavumbu (25-18, 25-11, 25-2).
Kangundo have also qualified for the semis but their final group match on Friday against Hospital Hill will decide who tops the group.
They beat Kavumbu 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) and were made to work hard against Oloitoktok to win 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-15).
In the only Group B match played on Thursday, Moi Forces Academy won by straight sets (25-20, 25-13, 25-18) against Nairobi Hill.
