Champs Kwale Girls axed from National Games

Kwale Girls will not defend their East African football title after they were disqualified from this year’s National School Games for fielding ineligible players during the Regional Games.

Ida Atieno, Ludia Aoko Ogutu and Joy Kinglady Orio were ineligible to play yet featured as Kwale went on to retain their Coastal title by defeating St. Johns Kaloleni 1-0 in the final.

According to the Coast Region Kenya Secondary School Sports Association Secretary General Omar Munga, the three had only moved schools and needed to have stayed at least a year at Kwale Girls before being cleared to play.

The losing finalists St. Johns Kaloleni, have been selected to represent the region at the upcoming National Games set for July 29 – August 3 in Kisumu.

“The laws of the game are clear. If you take two or more students from the same school as your new players, they should not play until the following year.

“Kwale signed three of them and they all played in the Coast region finals in Malindi that’s why they have been disqualified,” Munga told Citizen Digital.

Kwale coach Mukasa Amboko, who led the team to a historic East African title last year, however says they are yet to receive any official communication on their disqualification.

He said, “Right now I know nothing because theirs is no any formal communication about this. We have seen it in the media too but we are waiting to hear from them.”

Asked on how the camp will receive the heartbreaking news if KSSSA will officially confirm them out of this year’s national competition, “I cannot say anything right now. I have nothing to comment because we don’t have the communication so far. ”