According to Hesbon Nyabinge, the football coach at Kakamega High School, a change in school management disrupted their dominance in school games. Despite this setback, Nyabinge is determined to guide the Green Commandos, multiple national champions, back to the top.
The Green Commandos experienced a low point last year when they were eliminated at the county level by new rivals, Musingu School. Nyabinge, who has led the team to this year’s county level, attributed their struggles to the change in school leadership.
“We are in a transition period, and for sure, we are trying to do some development to get results. The moment you see a change in the management, it might affect the progress. We have a new principal at the moment, and it’s our hope we will bounce back to those levels where football was at Kakamega High,” Nyabinge stated.
“We have new players without big names. It’s not like before when you could recognize them before the match. These are new players with very good talent from different backgrounds.”
Nyabinge emphasized the importance of proper planning and the accurate age of players in tournaments.
“The thing that will help for these tournaments is to plan well when it comes to the age of the players. If you look at the current age, there is this NEMIS system for schools, so age cheating will decrease. If you get the right age for these secondary school ball games, then for National U15, U20, we will get good players who will be competing at the right age,” he added.
In the ongoing KSSSA competition, Kakamega High School has demonstrated dominance by emerging victorious in all their matches from the zonals. In the final played last Sunday, they secured a convincing 4-0 win over Mwiyala Secondary, propelling them to the county finals.
Goals from Clement Kavere, Jeremiah Omar, Julius Ochieng, and Mailes Chira solidified Kakamega High’s status as Kakamega Central Sub-County champions.
“As Green Commandos, our goal is to reach the Nationals. If you look at how we are playing, we have improved from friendlies, zonals, and even the Kakamega Central sub-county,” Nyabinge noted.
“Our wish is to bring back the old glory of Kakamega High. Heading to the County stage, the most important thing is to tackle each game one by one. We won’t underestimate any team. The key is preparation. If you prepare well, the chances of winning are high.” said Nyabinge.
This year’s edition of the competition will demand the team’s utmost performance to secure a favorable outcome and enhance their chances of advancement. Kakamega High School faced a prolonged wait for the return of the Kenya National Secondary School games after their defeat to Musingu in the Kakamega County games last year.
In the semi-finals, the Green Commandos suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat on penalties against Musingu School, following a tense 1-1 draw in a packed Bukhungu Stadium. As a result, Musingu School progressed to the final.
