KSSSA Football Finals: Highway Claim National Champion Status

KSSSA Football Finals: Highway Overcomes Musingu to Claim National Champion Status

Highway Secondary School emerged as the new national boys’ football champions after defeating Musingu High 3-2 in post-match penalties.

The closely contested final took place at the Gusii Stadium in Kisii. The match was tightly fought, with both teams settling for a 1-1 draw in regular time, forcing the game into extra time and eventually leading to a penalty shootout.

Boaz Muchiri, Highway’s goalkeeper, played a crucial role in securing the victory by stopping two penalty kicks.

Musingu took the lead in the 11th minute through a goal by Elvis Ochieng. However, Highway equalized eight minutes later when Alvin Oloo scored, and the game remained tied until the shootout.

Tactical Adjustments and Challenges

Under the guidance of celebrated Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba, Highway faced a significant challenge when their captain, Miguel Osotsi, was shown a red card.

This forced the team to play with one less player during extra time. Despite this setback, Highway managed to tactically hold off Musingu’s determined efforts.

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Odemba expressed her satisfaction with the victory, stating that their goal was to represent the Nairobi region in the best way possible. She highlighted the team’s strategy of taking each game at a time, acknowledging that they faced top competition.

When Highway lost a player to a red card, they switched to a more tactical approach, emphasizing the psychological preparation needed to cover the gap.

Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

Odemba will not accompany the team to the East African Games in Uganda, as she will be leading the Police Bullets in the Cecafa Women’s Championship.

She expressed confidence in her assistant coach, Ocholla, who has been instrumental in the team’s success. Odemba believes that with Ocholla’s guidance, the team will perform well in Uganda, as they are familiar with most of their opponents.

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Odemba aims to secure a CAF Women’s Champions League slot by winning the Cecafa title in Ethiopia. Having led Police Bullets to the Kenya Women Premier League (KWPL) in their first season, she is determined to achieve further success in the upcoming championship.