St Joseph’s Girls, Kitale will launch their Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) hockey title defence in Morogoro, Tanzania, on Friday, with the Rift Valley powerhouse targeting a third consecutive regional title.JOGA have established themselves as the team to beat in East African school hockey after winning their maiden FEASSA title in Mbale, Uganda, in 2024. They previously successfully defended the crown on home soil in Kakamega last year.
Their latest challenge will begin in Pool A, where they have been drawn alongside fellow Kenyan side Ng’iya Girls, Uganda’s St Mary’s College Namagunga and Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School. Coach John Lusaka believes the two-time champions have prepared adequately for another demanding regional campaign and are determined to maintain their grip on the title after completing another successful domestic season.“We have a strategy in place to dominate the hockey scene in Kenya and East Africa. The team for next year’s championships is ready,” Lusaka said. He added that the players have remained focused since winning the national title in Kisumu, with preparations designed to ensure they arrive in Morogoro ready to deal with the pressure that comes with being the defending champions.“The girls are ready to defend the title in Morogoro. We have had good preparations and have been training hard since we won the national trophy in Kisumu,” he said.
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JOGA’s pursuit of a hat-trick, however, will face serious competition from within Kenya, with former champions Nyamira Girls also arriving in Morogoro determined to reclaim the regional crown. Nyamira, who won the FEASSA title in Huye, Rwanda, in 2023, has been placed in Pool B alongside Tanzania’s Arusha Meru and Ugandan sides Kakungulu Memorial School and Gayaza High School. Their motivation is heightened by their narrow defeat to JOGA in this year’s national final, where St Joseph’s prevailed 2-1 on flicks in Kisumu, leaving Nyamira with another opportunity to settle the contest on the regional stage. Coach Stephen Kigai believes the experience of playing together as part of Kenya’s wider school hockey set-up has prepared his side for the challenge and is confident they can reproduce the level of performance that previously delivered the East African title.“We want to replicate the performance of Huye, where Kenya won gold, silver and bronze. We have been training together as Team Kenya, but when we get to the field, we want to reclaim our title. I believe it is our moment to shine.
Ng’iya Girls complete a formidable Kenyan presence in the women’s hockey competition. They will be seeking to go a step further after settling for bronze when the tournament was staged in Kakamega last year. Having already experienced the demands of regional competition, coach Oduor Nyadida believes his players can use last year’s campaign as a learning experience and mount a stronger challenge this time.“This will be our second attempt at the FEASSA trophy. Last year, we won bronze in Kakamega, but this time, we are going for glory,” Nyadida said.AFC Leopards announce ticket prices for friendly with Ugandan giantsThe coach believes defensive improvement could be decisive in determining how far his side progresses, particularly because the knockout stage will require them to be more efficient against the strongest teams from the two pools.“We have worked on our weaknesses, especially the defence. We are in a good pool, and our target is to finish on top so that we meet the second team in Pool B in the semi-finals,” he added.
With three Kenyan teams among the leading contenders, Kenya enters the tournament with a strong opportunity to extend its authority in East African school hockey, although Uganda and hosts Tanzania will be eager to disrupt the established order.