Serani Boys-Shimba Hills set renew in Coastal football games
By Harrison.Kivisu, July 21, 2023Coast football giants Serani Boys from Mombasa and Shimba Hills High School of Kwale County are set to renew their rivalry in high stakes Coast regional term two secondary school ball games to be held at Taita Taveta County today.
The games, expected to commence this morning, will take place at the Voi Girls and Boys schools, respectively.
The host county will be represented by Dr. Aggrey and Kenyatta Mwatate in football boys, and Mwasere and Kajire in football girls.
Serani Boys are the Coast defending champions and are pooled against the 2018 Coast football champions Shimba Hills, setting the stage for an anticipated grueling battle in the competition that also involves Taita Taveta county champions Dr. Aggrey High School.
In the build-up to the group stage encounter, both sides have come out with their guns blazing, ready for what is expected to be a thrilling football encounter of all seasons. Shimba Hills booked their ticket after a 3-0 win against Kaya Tiwi Secondary School in the Kwale County finals.
Serani Boys’ captain David Wanyama says the boys are breathing fire to crush opponents who come their way when the competitions kick off at Voi in Taita Taveta county.
Serani Boys boast of their red-hot players: Hamis Nyale, Salim Ali, and Athman Kibwana, all of whom scored one goal each to secure the regional slot when they beat St. Charles Lwanga of Changamwe with a scoreline of 3-0 during the Mombasa County finals two weeks ago.
Serani was bundled in nationals but says the experience and combination of players will propel them to the East Africa region.
“We have set our eyes on East Africa because we have been to nationals; we believe we have rectified the mistakes we committed at the Nationals, but this time, we promise our opponents to expect a grueling battle,” said Wanyama.
Serani’s head coach Swale Abdalla, alias ‘Coach Sunda,’ said only three of the players who took part in the last year’s national competition left, adding that the boys are highly spirited to give their best in the regional competition.
According to Abdalla, the 2022 Coast champions have set their eyes on the national title after a bad footing in the 2022 games. He expressed confidence that his charges have sealed the loopholes that saw them face early elimination in the national games last year.
On his part, Shimba Hills Secondary School head coach Alex Shikanga has promised to give opponents a run for their money as the former coast champions prepare to descend on the regional secondary school games.