•St. Anthony's Boys Kitale were dethroned by dark horses Kabarnet High School from Baringo county, who will fly Rift Valley's flag in the national championship slated for September 8-11 in Nakuru county.
•Goalkeeper David Wamalwa — an alumnus of the school — who currently plies trade for Nyeri-based National Division One side, Marafiki FC, watched in utter disappointment as the reality unfolded.
Image: MARAFIKI FC FACEBOOK PAGE
On Sunday, a daunting cloud of dismay engulfed St. Anthony's Boys Kitale after the glamour lads bowed out at the regional finals of the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) tournament.
The defending champions were dethroned by dark horses Kabarnet High School from Baringo county, who will now fly Rift Valley's flag at the national championship slated for September 8-11 in Nakuru county.
The minnows pulled off the tournament's biggest upset ever this season to edge out their more fancied opponents 7-6 on post-match penalties after the teams played out a barren draw in regulation time.
The school games resumed this term after a two-year lull owing to the outbreak of the ravenous Covid-19 pandemic.
St. Anthony's had done well in the tournament before the setback. They comfortably cruised through the group stages to book a berth in the semis where they beat perennial arch-rivals Laiser Hill on post-match penalties.
Little did they know that minnows Kabarnet would extinguish their lofty ambition for a back-to-back national title.
Goalkeeper David Wamalwa — an alumnus of the school — who currently plies trade for Nyeri-based National Division One side, Marafiki FC, watched in utter disappointment as reality ultimately dawned.
A national title winner with the school in 2019, Wamalwa said 'Solidarity Boys' were let down by poor communication and lapses in concentration despite the squad's rich depth.
“The lineup was superb and the boys generally displayed good football. They were confident but got bogged down by concentration lapses. They also lacked the kind of drive needed to outperform opponents at that stage,” Wamalwa said.
Wamalwa, 22, is talking from a knowledgeable perspective, having steered the school to the 2019 national title in his roles as assistant captain and goalkeeper.
Wamalwa won the title alongside Msamali Dan (Kenya Police), Dan Odhiambo (City Stars), Tyson Kapchanga, Issa Lumumba, Ken Kyalo Mwenda (Kariobangi Sharks), Elly Senyi (Ulinzi Stars), Jacob Onyango, Sammy Kiplagat (Sofapaka), Issa Emuria (Mombasa Elite), Geoffrey Onjwati (Mwatate United) and Christopher Raila (APS Bomet).
They were guided to the title by Bobic Odowa who currently tutors the second-tier side, Mwatate United.
Wamalwa believes he and his former teammates at St. Anthony's have since acquired the expertise and experience required to grace the topflight stage.
Indeed, several teams have already expressed interest in securing his signature despite his tender age.
“I once got an invite from Sofapaka team manager Hillary Echesa to join the side but things didn't work out,” Wamalwa said.
Presently, Wamalwa continues to bask in his enviable role as Marafiki's first-choice custodian.
“I'll be turning out for Marafiki for the second consecutive season after joining them from APS Bomet in 2020,” Wamalwa said.
“So far, we've played three friendlies. We lost 3-1 to Ulinzi Stars, lost again 2-1 to Bidco United and then recovered to beat KCB 2-0 in our latest match.”
Edited by Tony Mballa