Agai Mixed Secondary School stunned hosts Kisumu Boys with a spirited 2-0 victory inspired by pre-match sauna sessions, clinching the Nyanza Region football crown and booking their place at the national stage set to be held in Mumias.

The Agai football team players arrived at Moi Stadium in Kisumu City after being treated to sauna and hot bath outings by the school administration led by Principal Gordon Akoko, and spiritedly embarked on the first half of the match, scoring a disallowed opener in the 18th minute through Abdul Otieno, before a mammoth crowd of football spectators who filled Moi Stadium to the rafters.

After the goal was disallowed by the central match referee, both teams proceeded to play a closely contested first half of the game, which ended in a barren draw.

On resumption, Agai football team players, playing under the tutelage of the school’s Principal cum coach Gordon Akoko, changed tact, scoring through Morgan Onyango in the 57th minute, barely 12 minutes into the second half, after latching onto a cross by teammate Moses Otieno.

Agai, egged on by scores of fans bussed to Moi Stadium aboard buses, matatus, Probox vehicles and boda bodas from the school’s home turf in Nyakach sub-county, extended the lead through Moses Otieno, who connected a low pass by teammate Abdul Otieno, eliciting a standing ovation and thunderous applause from the triumphant team’s horn- and vuvuzela-blowing fans.

On the road to the titanic final, watched by hundreds and thousands of football fans who thronged Moi Stadium, Agai edged out Karabok Secondary School football team 2-0 in the semis, as Kisumu Boys pipped St Mary’s Yala School 6-5 in post-match penalties.

In an interview with People Sports after the bruising boys’ football final on Saturday, July 12, Agai School Principal cum team coach Akoko, who was besieged by scores of team fans, stated, “It was a tough match, being a final and a derby against Kisumu Boys from the same Kisumu County with Agai.

“Nonetheless, I congratulate Kisumu Boys for the good match. They were worthy opponents, though fans dismissed KB as a team that allegedly reached the final through the back door after its successful petition against county defending champions Kisumu Day, which they lodged over the fielding of ineligible players by their opponents, prompting the game’s county jury to disqualify Kisumu Day in favour of Kisumu Boys,” Akoko said.

Earlier in the group stages of the boys’ football matches, Agai made a false start at the schools’ ball games championship and went down fighting 0-2 against St Mary’s Yala School, before Agai recovered to hammer Rapogi High School from Migori County 4-1.