Takaba Mixed Secondary School have rewritten the football story of Kenya's North Eastern region after becoming the first school from the region to qualify for the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games.The Mandera based side secured the historic achievement on Tuesday after beating Eastern Region champions Tumaini Secondary School 4-2 in their final Group B match at the ongoing Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Games.Their qualification marks a dramatic turnaround for a region that has struggled for years on the national stage.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878407##Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Takaba's leading scorer Harun Adan said the team's success was built on a desire to erase the painful memories left by previous representatives from the region.For the past six years, schools from North Eastern have exited the national games without collecting a single point or scoring a goal, with some suffering defeats by margins of seven goals or more.This year, however, Takaba have turned the tables. They announced themselves in style on Monday by thrashing St Philip Baricho 7-1 before sealing qualification with victory over Tumaini.Adan said those past disappointments became the team's biggest source of motivation."For the last five years our region has been coming here and getting beaten six or seven goals, but this time we are the ones beating teams by six goals," Adan told Mozzart Sport.The Form Three student said criticism directed at football in North Eastern pushed the squad to work even harder under coach Ngeera Huranira.KSSSA: Former champions Highway silence Yala but Menengai dash semi-final hopes"We trained with one goal. We wanted to change the mentality people have about our region," he said."From the first day of Term One we kept training because we knew we had a battle ahead of us. We wanted to reach the nationals and change people's perception of football in North Eastern. Now we are here and we want to attack the East Africa Games because we know everything is possible."The forward, who is also comfortable playing in midfield, said football represents a chance to transform both his life and that of his family.KSSSA: Bishop travels 800km in 24 hours to watch son shine for Kakamega School"We want to win the semifinals because football is helping me. I want to use my talent to reach higher levels," he said."We want to keep winning so that scouts can see us and give us opportunities. If you play well here, there are many scouts watching and they can help you move to the next level."Adan revealed that his dream is to earn a scholarship or professional contract abroad, saying he hopes football will open doors that can improve life back home."We want to reach places like the USA, join good academies and sign contracts that can help our families," he added.KSSSA: TikTok goalkeeper dreaming of Harambee Stars inspires Takaba's historic runTakaba's players also draw inspiration from Mohammed Bajaber, whose rise to the national team has convinced them that players from the region can compete at the highest level."When we see Bajaber playing at the highest level, we know we can also make it. We are working hard because we want to achieve even more than him," Adan said.