This is why St Peters football team ticks the boxes

This is why St Peters football team ticks the boxes

The stoic rise of St Peter’s Mumias as a football force is due to the impact of school principal and coach Cosmus Nabongolo.

Mumias Sugar FC former striker Bernard Onyango “Imboko” says the impact of the former St Antony’s High School boss has been instant since he joined the school, hailing him for his feat after the Saints beat all to bag Kakamega County School Games honours which concluded at the weekend.

St Peters topped Group A with an unbeaten record at the recently concluded Kakamega County School Games, storming all the way to the final in trailblazing fashion defeating Emanani High School 1-0 in the final.

Among their casualties were Kakamega Green Commandos whom they crushed 3-0 at the group stage.

“He has a massive network of scouts all over the country and that is why he has talents know-how. He has scouts in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nyanza, Western and I’m his eyes in Busia region and that is why we have good quality players to deliver trophies,” said Ochieng.

In the meantime, the heroic Nabongolo has warned that he is aiming to clinch both the under 16 and the under 20 titles at the national stage.

His promise is set to draw interest from rivals who are not only spoiling for a bruising fight with his charges at the regionals but also at the national level.

“People must know that Kakamega County is a fortress and there is rich talent to be put in use .We are targeting the national trophies in the two categories,” he roared.

The school boss, who has lifted the national trophies for unprecedented 18-times, has initiated scholarship project at the school to support the talented but less-privileged students to study without any difficulty.

One such beneficiary is striker Atem Kato whom he picked from Pokot West after he was unable to continue with his education due to school fees and brought him to St Peter’s on a scholarship.

“I come from West Pokot and started playing for Kapenguria Youth at the age of 16. Nabongolo spotted me when I was at Misikhu Friends with a lot of difficulties after our principal retired and the school management wanted me to pay school fees which I did not have,” Atem ,now at St Peter’s School, said.

The form three student has already represented Kenya in Chapa Dimba when the Chapa Dimba-All Star team recently toured Spain for a number of friendly matches.

“I joined St Peter’s because I wanted a school that had no name in football on the national level, and most importantly, because of the principal. This despite the fact that Kakamega High had also shown interest in me,” he added.

To aid Nabongolo is a strong technical bench composed of former players in the Kenyan Premier League, who are rich in football experience.

The team is led by head coach Moses Kibengwa who has also coached Kapenguria Boys, Koyonzo Boys and St Antony’s Boys, where Nabongolo also worked as principal, in the past.

There is also Ramadhan Balala who also sits in the technical bench of League side Western Stima, Bernard Onyango, a former international and ex -Mumias Sugar FC striker and Rajab Ouma amongst others.

The Saints, as they are fondly known, have been pooled in Group B alongside Mabunge RC from Busia ,Ebwali from Vihiga and Maliki Boys from Bungoma in the forthcoming regional games which starts from June 18 at Bungoma High .

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football School Games St. Peter's Mumias Bernard Onyango Cosmus Nabongolo

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