Boy Schools With The Best Football Teams In Kenya

Despite the Kenyan national side consistently performing dismally, football remains the most favorite sport in Kenya. A majority of renowned local players who have made fortunes in the world of football were initially scouted during the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) championships.

In this article, Wok takes a look at the best boys’ schools with the best football side.

Kakamega High School 

Popularly known as the ‘Green Commandos,’ Kakamega High School has been crowned the Kenyan champions 12 times. The school is the only institution which has a registered football club plying the NSL league.

The Green Commandos have an amazing history of football and were high flyers in the ’80s thanks to their coach Chris Makokha (RIP). Makokha was inspired by the Brazilian style of play and instilled great football skills to his players. It is said that the teacher of physics would penalize any player who lifted the ball unnecessarily. Additionally, Makokha wanted his players to maintain a maximum of two touches; reception and passing.

Among renowned players who schooled at Kakamega High School are Bonventure Maruti, Dennis Oliech, Joseph ‘Crouch’ Okumu and Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma.Recently, the school has faced tough competition and was eliminated by minnows Mwitoti Mixed in the semifinals of Western region in 2022.

St Anthony’s Boys – Kitale 

St. Anthony’s Boys from Trans-Nzoia have had great football teams over the years. Popularly known as ‘Solidarity Boys,’ the institution has won the national championship 6 times and have been crowned East African champions once.

Under former principal Cosmas Nabungolo, Solidarity Boys became a force to reckon with and also emerged a hockey powerhouse. The school is proud to have mentored former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Mukaisi.

However, in 2022, the school lost in the finals of the Rift Valley region after going down to Kabarnet Boys High School in post match penalties.

Dagoretti High School 

The school is situated in Nairobi County and has made several appearances in the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) championships. In 2019, they emerged runner-up and proceeded to the East African Championship. The side’s success is attributed to current Kibra MP Peter Orero who coached the team.

Ebwali – Vihiga

Ebwali Secondary School from Vihiga County are the reigning football champions in Kenya. They achieved the fete in their second appearance in the national championships. In 2019, they emerged third. The team is coached by Francis Muhambe and were granted green light to represent Western region after the disqualification of Bukembe Boys from Bungoma.

Highway – Nairobi 

Under the tutelage of coach Beldine Odemba, Highway Secondary School finished runners up in the 2022 Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) football tournament. However, they earned the tag of giant slayers when they beat St. Mary’s Kitende from Uganda. In the 2022 KSSSA finals, Highway lost to Ebwali from Vihiga.

Barding Boys – Siaya

Apart from St Anthony’s Boys Kitale, they are the only side which has won the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) football crown. Barding stunned St. Mary’s Kitende (Uganda) in 2016 in the finals played in Eldoret. They are the bitter rivals of Kisumu Day as far as the Nyanza bragging rights are concerned. Barding is coached by Wellington Moruai and failed to reach the national level in 2022.

Kisumu Day 

Kisumu Day are the reigning football champions of Nyanza region. They reached the semifinal of the national 2022 edition and were runner-up in 2014.

Kabarnet Boys 

The school is located at the heart of Kabarnet town, next to town’s monument. They are the current Rift Valley champions and reached the semifinals of the 2022 national championships. The side is coached by Reuben Sengech, who is also an alumnus.