Ebwali floor favourites Saints at Western Games

Vihiga County champions Ebwali handed their counterparts from Kakamega, St Peters Mumias, a shock 1-0 defeat in their Pool A opener on Wednesday.

James Isaboke scored the winner with 10 minutes left on the clock after reacting fastest to turn home a rebound from Kevin Odok’s effort.

Both teams made adventurous starts to the match, showing willingness to attack the opponent with Saints goalkeeper Sheikh Said forced into an early stop to deny Kevin Owalla. Kelvin Haggai then headed wide from a good position on the other end.

Ebwali head coach Francis Muhambe celebrated the win noting that he had done some investigations on the Saints’ style of play at the county level and credited his spying job for the victory.

“We have won because of God,St Peter’s have played well but I did my homework well after watching them during the counties.

“Defensively we have executed well with the goalie also being at his best in the match.I will now handle Mabunge as the next opponent with a new strategy because I know they have been watching the game,”he roared.

Captain Oliver Nyambaka has warned that their target is to go to the east African games.

“We have won but am not happy because I have yet achieved what my targets are.We have followed the advices from our coach and that is why we have won ,”he told citizen digital.

In another match,Kakamega county first runners up Emanani have started well by beating Bugina from Vihiga 1-0 while Maliki from Bungoma has punished Mabunge from Busia 2-0.

In Girls’ volleyball,Kakamega champions Bishop Sulumeti girls have shocked regional champions Lugulu girls by beating them 3 sets to 0.

St Peters will next play a tricky side Maliki High from Bungoma while Ebwali plays Busia’s Mabunge Boys later in the afternoon.

Emanani will face Bungoma champions St Marys’ Kibabii Boys while Busia Bunyala High locks horn with Vihiga’s Bugina Boys.

Elsewhere, four-time Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Championship (FEASSA) volleyball champions Kwanthanze on Wednesday got their title defence underway with an emphatic 3-0 win against Tharaka Nithi’s Chogoria as Eastern Region school games got underway at Makueni Boys, Makueni County.

The Machakos based team stream rolled their opponents with sets of 25-6, 25-8 and 25-6 in pool B opener to underline their superiority in volleyball.

The team which is renowned for producing potent players will take on Siakago of Embu on Thursday before winding up their preliminary matches against Dakabaricha of Marsabit.

Ever since winning their maiden national crown in Embu in 2013 and successfully defending it in Kakamega the following year, Kwanthanze have dominated not only in Kenya but also in East Africa.