This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
COPA Coca-Cola Nationals Kick Off ¶
The 2019 Under-16 COPA Coca-Cola Nationals commenced on July 30th, 2019, at the Kisumu National Polytechnic in Kisumu County, marking the beginning of a thrilling tournament.
Organized by the Ministry of Education in partnership with Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) and The Coca-Cola Company, the tournament aims to identify Kenya's best Under-16 football teams to represent the country in the COPA Coca-Cola Africa Cup.
Abdikadir Bishar, the commissioner in charge of football, expressed confidence in Kenya's ability to form a formidable team to compete in the African Championship.
Notably absent from this year's nationals are the defending champions, St. Anthony High School (boys) and Moi Girls Nangili (girls), who were knocked out during the preliminary matches of their regional games held last month in Rift Valley and Western Region respectively.
Wiyeta Girls High School (Rift Valley Region), the 2016 girls' champions, will be seeking to reclaim their dominance in the girls' category after being defeated in the finals last year.
The tournament will feature 32 teams, with the winning teams advancing to the COPA Coca-Cola Africa Cup. The Coca-Cola System in Kenya has also embarked on an environmental behavior change campaign, with one school in every region set to have its pitch revamped.
Below are the game pooling for the national finals.
- Group A (Boys): Goseta Boys High School (Rift Valley Region), Koyonzo Secondary School (Western Region), Serani Secondary School (Coastal region), and Gatamaiyu High School (Central Region)
- Group B (Boys): Dagoretti High School (Nairobi region), Agoro Sare Secondary School (Nyanza Region), Machakos Boys High School (Eastern Region), and North Eastern Region representative
- Group A (Girls): Wiyeta Girls High School (Rift Valley Region), Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School (Nairobi Region), Njabini Girls Secondary School (Central Region), and Ugari Mixed Secondary School (Nyanza Region)
- Group B (Girls): Waa Girls Secondary School (Coastal Region), Kobala Mixed Secondary School (Nyanza Region), Maeni Girls Secondary School (Western Region), and Itaara Secondary School (Eastern Region)
