Friends School Kamusinga will begin their 2026 FEASSSA boys’ hockey campaign in Morogoro on Saturday carrying two contrasting emotions, the weight of a proud regional history and the disappointment of another narrowly missed national title.The record five-time FEASSSA champions open their campaign against hosts Arusha Meru, with head coach Mathew Wakoli confident that his side has addressed the weaknesses that cost them the KSSSA national crown earlier this year.Download Our MozzartSport App For More NewsKamusinga fell to St Anthony’s Boys Kitale in a dramatic national final in Kisumu, with the match ending 1-1 in regulation time before St Anthony’s prevailed in post-match shootouts. The defeat denied Kamusinga another national title and extended the wait for a championship they have traditionally regarded as their territory. For Wakoli, the decisive factor was not necessarily a lack of ability, but what happened when the pressure reached its peak.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895116##“During our National Championship, we fought hard but lost narrowly to St Anthony’s. Our boys fell short of glory mainly due to mental strength. They lapsed in the dying moments of the game,” said Wakoli.That assessment has shaped Kamusinga’s preparation for Morogoro.FEASSSA 2026: Kenyan girls frustrated in Day One of football action in MorogoroAccording to the coach, the three months since the national championship have been used to address the team’s match endurance and tactical approach, with the technical bench determined to ensure that the lessons from Kisumu translate into a stronger performance on the regional stage.“We have been able to work on match endurance and game plan,” he said.The timing of that work could prove important.Kamusinga enter FEASSSA with one of the strongest historical records in boys’ hockey. Their regional titles came in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019, making them joint record holders alongside St Anthony’s Boys. Their 2019 triumph came at the expense of the same rivals, when Kamusinga defeated St Anthony’s 1-0 in the final in Arusha. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9895153##That history is something Wakoli uses as motivation, but he is careful not to allow the past to become a burden for a squad that has yet to write its own chapter.“Yes, we hold the most number of titles and we always use the record as a motivation to our current squad. However, none of them has a title in their name and thus we encourage our team to set a new record,” he said.It is a significant distinction. The players wearing the Kamusinga colours in Morogoro inherit the reputation built by generations before them, but they must ultimately deliver their own championship if the school’s remarkable FEASSSA record is to grow.FEASSSA 2026: Nyamira Girls target title after emphatic start in MorogoroTheir first test comes against Arusha Meru, a Tanzanian side that will have the advantage of playing on home soil.Wakoli expects a technically capable opponent but believes his players are prepared for the challenge.“Arusha Meru is playing as the home team and it is known for its skillful players, but as Cougars, we are ready to face them and hopeful to register our first win of the championship by containing the game and utilising our scoring chances,” he said.The opening fixture will also offer Kamusinga an opportunity to settle into the Morogoro conditions before facing what could be a much sterner test in their group.The Kenyan giants have been drawn in Group A alongside Arusha Meru, Namilyango College of Uganda and defending champions Kakungulu Memorial School of Uganda.That makes the group one of the most intriguing in the tournament.Kakungulu Memorial have emerged as the dominant force in the post-pandemic era, winning the FEASSSA title in 2022 and 2023 before reclaiming the championship in 2025. Musingu High School interrupted their run in 2024, but Kakungulu returned to the summit last year.FEASSSA 2026: False start for Kakamega as Kenyan champions fall to Ugandan sideFor Kamusinga, therefore, the group stage contains a potential championship-level test.Wakoli regards Kakungulu as the biggest challenge, particularly because the Ugandan side still has several players who were part of last year’s title-winning team.“Kakungulu are defending champions and still have a good number of experienced players that won FEASSSA last year. The level of competition this year is quite tough,” he said. “Each match seems like a final and however blinks is out of the championship.”The message is clear, there will be little room for complacency. Kamusinga’s challenge is not simply to navigate a difficult group but to do so with the mental discipline that Wakoli believes was missing at crucial moments of the national final.The coach, however, remains confident in his team’s ability to respond when the pressure rises. “We have high hopes with our team because it plays better in tough matches,” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895182##That confidence is rooted partly in Kamusinga’s history of bouncing back on the regional stage.Wakoli points to a pattern that has become part of the school’s hockey folklore, losing the national final and subsequently finding a way to respond at FEASSSA.“History has it that whenever we lose a final match during nationals, we have always reclaimed it during FEASSSA,” he said.Kamusinga therefore arrive in Morogoro with more than a title to chase. They have an opportunity to turn the disappointment of Kisumu into motivation and once again place themselves at the summit of East African school hockey.But Wakoli is refusing to look beyond the immediate assignment.“We will play in this year’s finals, one match at a time. We will be there,” he said.The coach believes the combination of a strong technical bench and a talented squad can deliver the result Kenya is seeking.“I have confidence that with the strong technical bench and skilful players, we will deliver the victory to Kenya,” he added.Inside the Kenyan sides that could spoil St Joseph’s Girls’ bid for a third straight FEASSA hockey titleFor a school that has won the FEASSSA boys’ hockey title five times and last lifted the trophy in 2019, Morogoro presents another opportunity to reconnect with its regional pedigree.The challenge is significant. Kakungulu Memorial are defending their crown, Arusha Meru have home advantage and Namilyango stand between Kamusinga and a place in the knockout stages.But the Cougars have arrived with a point to prove.The national final exposed a weakness. Three months of preparation have been spent addressing it. Now the test begins.Kamusinga’s past made them champions. Morogoro will determine whether this generation can write its own chapter.
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