Schools Games: St Joseph’s Boys Kitale edge Bwake in chaotic Trans Nzoia final to book Rift Valley slot

St. Joseph’s Boys Kitale, also known as Jobo, sealed their place in the Rift Valley Secondary Schools Sports Association regional games after edging Bwake Boys 1-0 in a dramatic and chaotic Trans Nzoia County final held at Chebisaas Boys High School in Eldoret.

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The match, relocated to Uasin Gishu County after days of confusion, protests, and scheduling disputes in Trans Nzoia, was the culmination of a turbulent Thursday that saw both semi-finals and the final staged at the same venue.

Jobo emphatically stormed into the final after thrashing 2023 national champions St. Anthony’s Boys (Solidarity Boys) 5-0 in the semi-final.

Star forward Instine Simiyu was the hero of the match, netting a first-half brace before adding a third in the second half as Jobo dominated their archrivals in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Bwake Boys booked their place in the final with a narrow 1-0 win over Goseta Boys in a match that had initially been abandoned in Trans Nzoia but was rescheduled and played at Chebisaas.

The venue for the matches remained unclear until late Monday, with conflicting reports pointing to Moi Girls Eldoret, Wareng High School, and Chebisaas.

Fans were initially barred from attending, but on Wednesday morning, large crowds from Trans Nzoia defied the directive and flocked to Chebisaas.

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The final itself was marred by controversy and interruptions.

Simiyu scored the decisive goal in the 52nd minute to give Jobo the lead, but tensions boiled over in the 72nd minute when Bwake fans stormed the pitch, protesting a denied penalty appeal.

The chaos forced a half-hour stoppage.

After order was restored, the match resumed, but Bwake failed to capitalize on a late opportunity, missing a penalty in the 88th minute.

Despite the surrounding drama, Jobo held on to claim victory and assert their dominance over county football rivals, settling the year-long debate with back-to-back wins over Solidarity Boys and Bwake.

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The focus now shifts to the Rift Valley regional games, where Jobo will be aiming to maintain their momentum and stake their claim on national glory.

In Kisumu, Kisumu Day Secondary School and Kisumu Boys High School were set for a bruising football battle in the semi-finals of the Kisumu County Secondary School Term Two Games at Moi Stadium Kisumu on Thursday, but the same has since been postponed.

The two sides got a lifeline after the jury ruled in their favor, nullifying last month’s semi-finals outcome after the fixture was marred by incidents of ineligible players.

The jury found initial winners Onjiko Boys High School guilty of fielding six ineligible players from the group stages level up to the semis.

As a result, their post-match penalties' win in the semi-finals against Kisumu Day was quashed during the ruling delivered on July 25.

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Following the nullification of all Onjiko’s results, Kisumu Boys, who placed third in Group B standings, were elevated to second position behind Agai Secondary School, who took first place.

In the other semi-final, which will be held at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium, Agai will line up against Kasagam Secondary School, who finished behind Kisumu Day in Pool A

In Kakamega, the Green Commandos of Kakamega High School are still awaiting the decision of their appeal against Musingu High School, which could give them a lifeline and qualification to the regional games.