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Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) Under-19 boys’ football champions St Anthony’s Kitale will take on Tanzania’s Lindi Secondary School in the Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Associations (FEASSSA) opening match at Sheikh Abeid Stadium tomorrow.

Peter Mayoyo’s side last won the national title in 2012 when they saw off Dagoretti High 5-4 on post-match penalties to lift the gong. This was Mayoyo’s first title with the team since joining the school in 2014.

Having lost in the 2017 final and finished third last year, the Rift Valley region side was determined to make it five titles and the gods smiled on them in Kisumu last month just like in 2012.

Mayoyo’s charges, however, have their work cut out as they are in Pool A alongside holders Buddo Secondary, who clinched their maiden title last year, following a nail-biting 4-3 triumph on post-match penalties over Rwanda’s Lycee De Kigali. The two sides lock horns on Monday morning.

The boys’ football trophy has been a preserve of the Ugandans with St Mary’s Kitende dominating in the last 15 years with 11 titles to their name. Buddo dethroned them in last year’s edition.

St Antony’s last won the title in 2002 with the only other Kenyan side to lift the it being Barding Secondary School in 2016 when the games were hosted in Eldoret. Uganda’s Masaka and Standard High School, Zana are the other teams to have won the title in the last 15 years.

The other Kenyan representatives, Dagoretti are equally in a tough Pool C that has record winners St Mary’s Kitende, Tanzania’s Ruwuiko and Blantyre Secondary from Malawi.

Coached by Joseph Makhoha, the Nairobi region champions are making their debut at the regional games and despite falling to St Antony’s in the national final, they are determined to leave a mark in their first appearance.

They open the competition against Ruwuiko on Sunday morning before taking on St Mary’s Kitende on Tuesday. Their last group match is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, girls’ champions Nyakach, runners up Itigo and Arch Bishop Njenga will be tasked with ensuring the title remains in the country. Kenya lifted the it last year through Kwale Girls and Wiyeta in 2017.

Itigo are in Pool B that has last year’s losing finalists Kawempe while the other two Kenyan teams are in Pool A that has Uganda’s Mukono High and St Noa as well as Tanzania’s Kihesa.