The 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two Games got off to a thrilling start at the M-PESA Foundation Academy in Thika on Sunday, with tournament favourites living up to expectations and debutants St. Mary’s School Yala announcing their arrival on the biggest stage with an impressive victory.
Making their first-ever appearance at the national championships, the Nyanza champions extended their remarkable unbeaten run after defeating Rift Valley champions Menengai High School 2-0 in their opening Group A fixture.
Having arrived in Thika carrying the tag of tournament dark horses, the Black Saints justified the growing belief surrounding them with a composed display against a Menengai side that proved stubborn for much of the contest.
The opening half was evenly balanced, with both teams creating opportunities but failing to find the breakthrough. Menengai matched Yala’s intensity and defensive organisation, ensuring the teams went into the halftime break deadlocked.
However, the complexion of the match changed after the restart as St. Mary’s School Yala began to dominate possession and dictate the tempo. Their patient approach eventually paid off when Brian Javan Omondi broke the deadlock, calmly finishing after a well-worked attacking move unlocked the Menengai defence.
With confidence growing, the Black Saints continued to press forward and were rewarded again when Omondi struck his second goal of the afternoon, completing a memorable brace to seal a 2-0 victory and a dream start to the school’s maiden appearance at the national championships.
The result lifted Yala to the summit of Group A on goal difference after the opening round of matches, ahead of Highway Secondary School, who edged former champions Tononoka High School 1-0 in the other group fixture.
For Yala, the victory was another milestone in what has become a remarkable campaign. The Siaya County side remains unbeaten from the sub-county championships through the county and regional competitions and has now carried that impressive run onto the national stage.
Elsewhere, record national champions Kakamega High School marked their return to the KSSSA National Games in emphatic fashion after ending an eight-year absence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Takaba Secondary School in Group B.
The Green Commandos, one of the most successful schools in Kenya’s football history, showed little sign of rust despite their lengthy absence from the national stage.
Derrick Wanyonyi gave Kakamega the perfect start by opening the scoring before striker Julius Ochieng stole the show with a clinical second-half brace that put the result beyond doubt.
Ochieng’s finishing highlighted the attacking quality that has defined Kakamega’s impressive campaign this season, while the clean sheet reflected a disciplined defensive performance as the Western region champions collected maximum points.
Kakamega arrived at the national championships with an outstanding record, having won 14 of their 16 matches on their journey to Thika, losing only once and drawing another. Their convincing opening-day display suggested the Green Commandos have every intention of challenging for another national title.
The biggest victory of the day belonged to Eastern region champions Tumaini School, who ran riot in a 6-1 demolition of Baricho Secondary School to move top of Group B on goal difference. Kakamega sit second with the same three points, setting up what promises to be a fascinating battle for top spot in the pool.
With the opening round complete, both St. Mary’s School Yala and Kakamega High School have laid down early markers in the race for the semi-finals. While Yala continue to defy expectations on their historic national debut, Kakamega’s successful return has rekindled memories of the school’s glory days.
If the first day is anything to go by, the race for the 2026 KSSSA boys’ football title promises to be fiercely contested, with Kenya’s established giants and emerging forces already showing they have the quality to go all the way.
