Dagoretti Mixed are bullish to claim the Copa Coca Cola under 16 title as they debut the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association National Games set to be staged between July 30 and August 3 in Kisumu.
Both the boys' and girls' 2018 champions St. Anthony's Boys Kitale (Rift Valley Region) and Moi Girls Nangili (Western Region) were knocked out in the group stages of their Regional Games hence there are no defending champions in Kisumu.
The Nairobi lineup will however not have it smooth as they face opposition from equally talented and determined outfits from the group stages. They have been drawn in pool 'A' alongside last year's losing finalists and 2016 holders Wiyeta (Rift Valley), Njabini Girls (Central) and Ugari Mixed (Nyanza).
Rift Valley girls' football heavyweights Wiyeta High will be seeking to recapture the national U16 title. Dagoretti Mixed who are responsible for sending home the 2017 winners Olympic Mixed in their regional finals pose a big threat to Wiyeta's title reclamation campaign.
Maurice Okumu, Dagoretti Mixed's principal who is also the team coach said they cannot underrated any side, noting that Njabini showed class two years ago at the nationals and Ugari comes from a football rich area.
“We have prepared well and our eyes are glued on the title. Despite being drawn in a tough pool in our maiden appearance, gathering experience is not what we are up to. I don't prepare teams for participation,” intimated Okumu who is also the Nairobi Region Secondary Schools Sports Association chairman.
The second pool comprises 2018's losing semifinalists Waa Girls (Coast), Kobala Mixed (Nyanza), Maeni Girls (Western) and Itaara (Eastern).
In the boys category, Goseta High (Rift Valley), will be square it out with newcomers Koyonzo Secondary (Western), Serani (Coastal) and Gatamaiyu High (Central) in pool 'A,' whereas Newbies Dagoretti High from Nairobi will come face-to-face Agoro Sare (Nyanza), Machakos Boys High (Eastern) and a representative from the North Eastern Region in the second grouping.
The winners in both boys and girls categories will represent Kenya at the second edition of Copa Coca Cola U16 Africa later in the year at a yet to be announced venue.
