Kakamega School’s return to the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games got off to a disappointing start after the Kenyan champions fell 2-1 to Uganda’s Kyadondo Secondary School at Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro on Friday afternoon. Raphael Masimo and Joseph Rakuba scored for Kyadondo, while Daniel Ombati pulled one back for the Green Commandos, who now face a difficult task in Group C after surrendering three points in their opening fixture.
Kyadondo, who finished fourth at the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) Games, came into the contest with purpose and immediately put the Kenyan champions under pressure.Rakuba forced Kakamega goalkeeper Chris Georgian into action inside the opening minute before Masimo continued to lead the Ugandans’ charge.
Much like St Mary’s Yala against St Mary’s Kitende earlier in the day, Kakamega spent the opening stages chasing the ball and defending as a unit.The Ugandans moved it with confidence, constantly forcing the Green Commandos deeper into their own half.The pressure nearly produced an early breakthrough when Mawanda Vincent struck the woodwork twice within two minutes, leaving the Kenyan defence scrambling as Kyadondo continued to turn the screw.
Edema Bashiri dictated the tempo from the middle of the park, combining neatly with Luwen Ariri as Kyadondo stretched the pitch and moved the ball away from pressure.Scrembe Fahad provided another outlet on the flank, repeatedly carrying the ball forward and forcing Kakamega’s midfield to retreat.The Ugandans continued to dominate possession, with their movement between the lines making it difficult for Kakamega to establish any rhythm.
Edema and Ariri kept the ball circulating while Scrembe looked to exploit spaces behind the Kenyan fullbacks, leaving the Green Commandos struggling to win sustained possession.The mounting pressure also raised tempers on the touchline, with one member of the Kakamega technical bench receiving a red card in the 22nd minute.Kenya U20 coach reveals quality that sets Kabras youngster apart after Barthes Cup final heroicsAfter the brief interruption and cooling period, Kyadondo returned to the contest with the same intensity, pushing high and denying the Kenyans time to settle.
Mawanda, Masimo and Rakuba remained a constant threat whenever they got on the ball, forcing Kakamega’s defenders to stay alert.The Kenyan champions struggled to produce a response before halftime, with their best opening coming in the closing stages, when Derrick Muchiti’s corner was headed away and eventually led to a goal kick.Brighton Nacheri started the second half for Kakamega, but the Green Commandos had barely held possession for ten seconds before Kyadondo won it back.
The Ugandans then demonstrated their confidence from the back, with goalkeeper Lukuwaranzo Asharaf carrying the ball forward and playing past Muchiti and Macklin Adika before releasing it to his teammates. In the 50th minute, Mawanda appeared to have broken through again, but the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside. The forward was easily recognisable, partly because of the distinctive covering around his head, but his movement behind the Kakamega defence remained a problem. Two minutes later, Kakamega came close to an unlikely breakthrough. Julius Ochieng tried his luck from distance, with poor judgement by the Kyadondo goalkeeper nearly proving costly.
The custodian was forced to tip the ball behind for a corner. Sensing that Mawanda was coming under increased attention, Kyadondo coach Senkumba Hakim introduced Waswa Daniel in his place.The substitution immediately injected fresh energy into the Ugandan attack, particularly down the left, where the replacement began stretching the Kakamega defence.
The change, however, also created opportunities at the other end.Ochieng and Macklin Adika began finding more freedom as Kakamega pushed numbers forward, and one such move in the 60th minute almost produced an equaliser.The pair combined to expose space, forcing the Kyadondo goalkeeper to race off his line and smother the danger before a shot could be taken.
Kakamega were beginning to find their feet and gradually moved the contest higher up the pitch. Ochieng started seeing more of the ball while Adika occupied dangerous positions around the Ugandan box, forcing Kyadondo to defend deeper than they had in the opening half. The Kenyan champions kept pressing for the opening, with their midfielders pushing forward to support the attack and their wide players delivering balls into the danger area.
Kyadondo, however, remained dangerous on the counter and waited patiently for the spaces created by Kakamega’s attacking commitment. That approach paid off in the 65th minute. Kyadondo worked the ball through a series of exchanges just outside the Kakamega penalty area before Rakuba Joseph found room to shoot. His low effort flew into the bottom-left corner, giving Georgian no chance and putting the Ugandans 1-0 ahead. The goal forced Kakamega to commit even more players forward. Five minutes later, Kyadondo punished them again as Edema squared the ball into the path of Raphael Masimo, who made no mistake from inside the box to double the advantage.
Kakamega captain Muchiti was booked shortly after the second goal for a foul as frustration began to creep into the Kenyan side.Coach Hakim responded by making two changes, bringing on Michael Okoth and Daniel Ombati for Muchiti and Adika as Kakamega sought a route back into the contest.Charlton manager reveals timeline for Ouma’s integration into playing squadThe changes immediately gave the Kenyan champions greater attacking presence.
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Mwale Joseph was later booked for a foul on Ombati following a rough challenge, but the incident ended with the two players shaking hands in a display of sportsmanship that reflected the tone of a contest in which players repeatedly helped each other up after fouls. With Kakamega now pitching camp deep in the Kyadondo half, the Ugandan coach reacted with a double substitution, introducing Lumala Marvin and Mugisha Charles to help protect the advantage and deal with the mounting pressure.
The changes had barely settled when Kakamega finally found a breakthrough. A free-kick was whipped into the penalty area, and Okoth rose highest to meet it, directing his header into the net and giving the Kenyan champions a lifeline with the score at 2-1. The late goal transformed the final minutes into a frantic contest. Kakamega threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser, while Kyadondo defended with everything they had, looking to protect the lead that had seemed comfortable moments earlier.The Green Commandos pushed until the final whistle but could not find the second goal.
The defeat leaves them with little room for error in their remaining Group C matches, with the Kenyan champions now needing a strong response and, most likely, victories in their remaining fixtures to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.