St. Anthony’s goalkeeper Issa Emuria was the hero of the day after saving three spot-kicks to assist his team win 3 – 1 through penalties against St. Peters’ High School Mumias to clinch the COPA Coca-Cola Under-16 national championship.
The game was decided through penalty kicks after it ended in a barren draw in normal regulation time and thirty minutes for the extra time.
Christopher Raila, David Leona and Rashid Issa converted their spot kicks for the champions with Brian Mbithe the only scorer for St. Peters High School in the highly contested match played at a fully packed Hill School in Eldoret.
St. Anthony’s luck paid off this year after losing last years’ finals to Kakamega High School during the finals held at Shanzu Teachers Training College in Mombasa County.
In the girl’s finals, Wiyeta Girls High School were second time unlucky after losing the finals to debutants Moi Girls Nangili.
Nagili's lethal striker Noel Oruka was instrumental in ensuring the Western representatives clinch the trophy by grabbing the lead in 28th minute. Ivy Chepkurui sealed the deal by scoring in the 51st minute and keeping the trophy out of reach for the Rift Valley representatives.
The third and fourth play-offs girls’ category had Olympic Girls beat Waa girls by a solitary 60th-minute goal scored by Hasina Yusufu through a free kick.
In the boy’s play-off, Upper Hill High School came from two goals behind to beat Riyabu Secondary School 3 – 2 in a hotly contested match.
The games under the Ministry of Education, in partnership between Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) and The Coca-Cola Company, are a culmination of the Under-16 boys’ and girls’ tournament with a total of 5,000 schools having registered and participated for a chance to be inaugurated as the national champions.
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