Nyanza beats Coast 1-0 to lift primary schools boys soccer trophy

Nyanza on Monday silenced Coast in boys' football in the just concluded Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association Championship in Machakos.

The team emerged victorious in the finals after a 1 - 0 score against a team from the coastal region.

The national primary schools ball games were held at Machakos Teachers Training College between September 9 and 12, 2022.

Western hit Nyanza in football girls with a 1-0 score, while Rift Valley floored Eastern in volleyball boys with 4 sets against 1.

The ball games competitions were concluded on Monday, September 12.

Eight regions participated in the ball games Championship. They included Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Eastern, North Eastern, Western, Nairobi and Coastal regions.

Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association national chairman Rashid Mbalo said all the players were aged between 15 years and below.

"I am happy that we are coming to the end of our championship. The games were unique especially here in Machakos because we have seen new talents emerging especially in soccer, netball, handball and and volleyball, " Mbalo said.

Mbalo addressed the press shortly after the championship ended.

"We have had wonderful championship whereby these young stars have shown their talents. We urge the federations as they proceed with sports up to the national levels, let us have these children being identified so that we nurture their talents. We have best talents," he said.

Nyanza boys soccer captain Briton Acheri attributed their win to discipline and team work.

The class eight pupil at Lake primary school in Kisumu said it was the first time their team made it to finals at the national level.

Acheri urged the government to support talents with necessary sporting infrastructure and gears.

The team's coach Evans Ochieng said they were contented with their performance having had their last competition at Meru County in 2019 before Covid-19 struck.

"In 2018 we were the champions. In 2019 we were bungled at primaries. Due to Covid-19, we never had sports in the last two years," Ochieng said.

He said the Nyanza boys' soccer team was constituted by pupils from various schools in the six counties from the region.

"My vision as a coach for the young boys is that the championship may give them an avenue for them to prosper in future," Ochieng said.

The winners are headed to Arusha in Tanzania for East Africa ball games championship sated for September 14, 2022.

---