Kisumu Day boys football team, the county’s reigning champions and fan favourites, have been dramatically disqualified from the Nyanza Regional Secondary Schools Ball Games after a jury found they fielded ineligible players, shaking up the title race just as the event kicked off in Kisumu City.

The team, which boasts of ardent and mostly youthful followers drawn from several Kisumu City residential estates (Ondiek, Kaloleni, Manyatta Arab, Makasembo, Arina, Tom Mboya, Postal and Patel flats) including supporters in far-flung bases outside the city, was disqualified on Wednesday, by Kisumu County Secondary Schools Sports Association (KCSSSA) games jury.

The jury disqualified Kisumu Day following a successful petition by archrivals Kisumu Boys (KB) for having fielded ineligible players during the county group stage game against KB and other opponent school teams, as well as in the semi-finals and final against Agai Mixed Secondary School. Kisumu Day had edged Agai 1-0 to qualify to represent the county at the Nyanza regional competition, the county ball games secretary George Osura confirmed yesterday in an interview with People Sports.

“During the jury hearing at the County Director of Education office located on the third floor of the former Kisumu Governor’s Plaza offices in Mlimani, Kisumu Day boys football team was found culpable and disqualified for having fielded ineligible players during their match against Kisumu Boys and other opponent school teams,” Osura explained.

Osura continued to state: “However, Kisumu Day’s counter-petition against Kisumu Boys alleging the latter had equally fielded an ineligible player during their match was dismissed, as Kisumu Boys presented the accused player’s original birth certificate, which proved the player was within the requisite age bracket to play for the school’s football team.”

The KCSSSA jury that disqualified Kisumu Day was chaired by Kisumu County Director of Education (CDE) Rosemary Birenge, who the county games secretary Osura said was represented by Otieno Oyoo Principal One Adit.

Other jury members present during the petition hearing were County Director of the Teachers Service Commission George Abungu, county games deputy secretary Milka Matiku, KCSSSA vice-chairman George Ombewa, county games committee member James Maloba, Xaverian Secondary School Principal Nyangau and final match commissar Tobias Ounga.

Osura said Kisumu County will now be represented by two boys football teams: Agai Mixed Secondary School as winners, and Kisumu Boys, who will also participate at the Nyanza regional secondary schools ball games since Kisumu County is hosting the regional competition. He added: “The benefit of being the Nyanza regional ball games host is that the county is represented by two teams.”

In an interview on Wednesday, July 9, with People Sports, Agai Mixed Secondary School Principal Gordon Akoko joyously retorted, “The jury’s verdict disqualifying Kisumu Day is a great victory for the county’s secondary schools football fraternity, since the troublesome Kisumu Day, who are known as the county’s football mercenaries Atur Margayans and Atur Sasgayans, have been exposed for their mischief every year and disqualified.”