FEASSSA Games: Musingu break 9-year Kenyan jinx by beating St. Joseph's to book football finals ticket

For the first time since 2016, Kenya will have a representative in the football finals of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games.

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Musingu High School, famously known as the Scorpions, edged St. Joseph's Boys High School 4-3 in post-match penalties after a 1-1 draw at Moi Stadium, Kisumu, on Friday, 22 August, to book a date with Uganda’s Bukedea Comprehensive Academy in the final.

Rixon Simiyu’s coolly converted first-half penalty looked set to be the razor’s edge in a tense semi-final, but Musingu, through Marvin Ashiundu, levelled with two minutes left on the clock to swing the pendulum Musingu’s way

The Scorpions are now just 90 minutes away from etching their name into history.

A win in the final would make them only the third Kenyan school to lift the prestigious title, after St. Anthony’s Boys and Barding High School.

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The first half exploded into life like a storm breaking over a calm sea, with Instin Simiyu and Charles Ochieng spearheading the charge from the very first touch.

Houstin Oluoch and Ronny Ochieng were thrown into the furnace of midfield battle, forced to roll up their sleeves and wade through the mud early on to give Musingu a lifeline in the contest.

Jobo attacked like a pack of hungry wolves, pouncing on every loose ball and probing for weaknesses in Musingu’s armour.

Their relentless hunt bore fruit in the 15th minute when Rooney Ochieng was stripped of the ball in midfield by the prowling Collins Mwalati.

What followed was a footrace between Mwalati and Houstin Oluoch, which ended in a moment of calamity. Oluoch brought Mwalati down, gifting Jobo a penalty.

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Rixon Simiyu stepped up with ice in his veins and buried the spot-kick before igniting the crowd with a Cristiano Ronaldo–inspired “Siuuu” celebration that sent the stadium trembling.

The goal lit a fire in the Jobo faithful, who had turned up in droves, their chants now rolling across the stands like a wave at high tide.

Musingu were expected to respond with guns blazing, but instead, it was the Brown Saints who kept their foot on the accelerator, sending attack after attack crashing like thunder against the Scorpions' defense.

The midfield turned into a battleground, a tug-of-war pitting Rooney Ochieng and Oluoch against Jobo’s Gabriel Silas and Rayce Ochieng, who marshalled his troops with a general’s composure.

Musingu clawed back possession, but their final passes were like arrows without heads, sharp in intent but lacking the deadly finish to trouble their opponents.

At the back, Swaleh Abu and Annan Okumu fought like lions, throwing their bodies on the line to stop Tony Mwale, Instin Simiyu, and Collins Mwalati.

Kevin Mukaramoja and Quimba Shaban had their hands full, but goalkeeper Delvin Vurachi stood tall like a fortress, pulling off acrobatic saves that kept the Brown Saints’ lead alive.

As the clock ticked past the half-hour mark, Musingu began to find their rhythm, weaving their passes together like threads in a tapestry.

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Harrison Amalemba came closest to shifting the tide with a thunderbolt that whistled past the post and kissed the side netting, sending a ripple of gasps through the stadium.

The fans were the heartbeat of the game; every Musingu touch was met with claps like rolling thunder, every shot cheered like a victory march.

With five minutes left in the first half, the battle lines had been drawn, defenders turning their penalty areas into trenches, refusing to yield.

When the halftime whistle finally pierced the air, the Brown Saints sank to their knees in prayer, soon joined by the Scorpions, before both sides disappeared into the tunnel to regroup for the war that lay ahead.

The second half began with the tempo dropping like a fading drumbeat, the ball spending much of the early minutes trapped in the far corners.

Musingu were dealt a heavy blow when Rayce Ochieng collided awkwardly with Kevin Mukaramoja and had to be stretchered off for medical attention, leaving the Brown Saints to shuffle their pack with almost three injury-forced changes by the 52nd minute.

On the pitch, the battle turned into a war of attrition, each blade of grass contested like treasure.

Kevin Manani’s introduction breathed fresh life into the Scorpions, who earned back-to-back free kicks in promising positions.

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His best effort, a curling strike from just outside the 18-yard box, arced over the wall but kissed the air inches wide of the post, a near miss that had the crowd holding its breath.

From then on, it was wave after wave of Brown Saints attacks, with goalkeeper Delvin Vurachi standing as an unyielding wall, his gloves turning venomous strikes into harmless memories and justifying his title as the Nationals’ Most Valuable Player.

Both sides threw everything forward in the closing stages, turning the match into a seesaw of wasted chances and desperate defending.

St. Joseph’s came closest through quick counter-attacks, while Musingu’s final passes lacked the cutting edge to pierce the Brown Saints’ backline.

A free kick in the dying minutes changed the game, with Boaz Mushira's long kick being turned in by Marvin Ashiundu.

Fans stormed the field in celebration and even attacked JOBO players, forcing a stop to the game.

In a dramatic twist, the much-anticipated clash between Musingu High School and Jobo Secondary was aborted with just two minutes of regular time left after fans stormed the field to celebrate Marvin Ashiundu’s late equaliser.

The chaotic scenes forced organisers to move the remainder of the game to Kisumu to ensure the match concluded without further crowd trouble.

On Friday afternoon, shortly before the playoff fixtures, the two sides returned to the field to play out the final two minutes, which ended goalless, sending the tie to penalties.

Musingu had the chance to seal the win during the shootout, but Abu Swaleh’s decisive penalty was saved, leaving the door open for Jobo.

However, William Mutambo failed to capitalise as his effort was stopped by goalkeeper Boaz Mushira, sparking wild celebrations from the Musingu players, many dropping to their knees in prayer.

With that save, Musingu booked their place in the final, where they will face Uganda’s Bukedea Comprehensive Academy.