FEASSSA Games: Draws galore for Kenyan schools in Day One of girls football action

Kakamega came alive on Thursday, 14 August, as the 22nd edition of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games got underway across various venues in the county.

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The annual regional showpiece has attracted teams from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and the guest nation Ivory Coast.

Over the next two weeks, schools will battle in football, volleyball, rugby 15s and 7s, basketball 5x5 and 3x3, hockey, handball, swimming, athletics, netball, and racquet games.

Demonstration sports such as cricket, beach volleyball, chess, scrabble, lacrosse, and dancesport are also on the programme.

The championship will additionally feature primary schools and Special Needs Education (SNE) competitions.

Girls' Football

Kenyan girls’ football teams posted a slow start on day one. Madira Girls, representing Group A, were the first to step onto the pitch against Uganda’s Kawempe Queens, settling for a barren draw after a cagey contest.

In Group B, national champions Butere Girls Secondary School renewed their rivalry with Ugandan outfit Amus College.

The Red Commandos tie was a repeat of last year’s opener, which Amus won 2-0.

The tie at Mabao Grounds was evenly contested, with both sides creating chances but failing to finish.

FEASSA GAMES: Madira kick off campaign with a hard-fought draw

Butere came close in the second minute when Patience Asiko, after a neat exchange with Lorna Faith, controlled the ball well before blasting over the bar.

That proved the only real threat of the first half as both sides opted for cautious build-up play rather than aggressive attacks, slowing the tempo.

Amus were reduced to ten players in the second half, but Butere could not take advantage during the over ten minutes of numerical superiority.

Everything you need to know about this year’s FEASSSA Games

After the match, Butere head coach Edwin Sakwa blamed changes in scheduling for affecting his side’s preparations.

"Amus have a squad full of Kenyans, players we’ve faced before, so they knew us well,” he told Mozzart Sport.

“We were supposed to face them on Friday, but the game was moved to Thursday. On top of that, our match time changed from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. That psychological shift disrupted our plans and affected the players.”

FEASSSA Games: Perfect kick off for Kenyan schools in rugby as hockey post mixed start

Elsewhere at the Kakamega Rehabilitation Centre, Rift Valley champions Nasokol Girls made their debut against Tanzania’s Alliance Secondary School, playing to a barren draw.

Kobala Mixed Secondary School, returning to the FEASSA Games, settled for a 1-1 stalemate in their opener.

Arch Bishop Njenga will have to wait longer to commence the tournament after their opener was postponed, with their opponents requesting more time for rest

Matches resume on Friday after the official opening ceremony, with Kenyan teams determined to bounce back and keep their title hopes alive.

The last Kenyan side to lift the girls’ football crown was Kwale Girls in 2018.