St. Joseph's upsets national champions St. Anthony Kitale to win county title

This year's Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) nationals will see a new football champion emerge after the reigning champions, St. Anthony Kitale, were unexpectedly eliminated.

St. Anthony Kitale suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Transnzoia County Finals to their neighbours and arch-rivals, St. Joseph's Boys Kitale, in a high-stakes match held at Kipkeikei Secondary this afternoon.

Leading up to the finals, St. Anthony, also known as the 'Solidarity Boys,' defeated St. Paul's Sinoko 1-0 in the quarter-finals and trounced Hilario Secondary 5-0 to secure their spot in the finals against St. Joseph's.

The much-anticipated Transnzoia County Final took place in a charged atmosphere, with both teams eager to break the deadlock and showcase their skills.

The game's turning point came in the 28th minute when Athman Shungu intercepted a cross and fired a shot to the far left, giving St. Joseph's an early lead. This left St. Anthony's defence and goalkeeper stunned, unable to react.

As the first half concluded, St. Joseph's maintained their 1-0 advantage. In the second half, St. Anthony Kitale pressed hard for an equalizer, but St. Joseph's capitalized on a defensive lapse. Rickson Simiyu doubled St. Joseph's lead in the 68th minute, much to the delight of their supporters.

However, the excitement turned to chaos in the 87th minute when fans invaded the pitch, leading to the match's abandonment. Despite the abrupt end, St. Joseph's are now the new County Champions.

Wiyeta Girls High School successfully defended their county championship by defeating St. Joseph Girls 1-0 in the girls' competition. Both Wiyeta and St. Joseph will represent Transnzoia in the regional games set to take place in Bonet from July 16th.