As the 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two Games get underway in Thika today, Nyakach Girls High School return to the national stage with one clear mission; to reclaim the title they last won in 2019.

The Kisumu County giants, the Plateau Queens, have steadily established themselves as one of Kenya’s most consistent school football powerhouses. National champions in 2019, runners-up in 2024 and bronze medalists at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games the same year, Nyakach Girls once again arrive among the favourites after another impressive qualification campaign.

Their journey to the national championship has been built on careful preparation, dominance, resilience and redemption.

The foundation for this season was laid during the official Safaricom Chapa Dimba launch in Kisumu, where the Plateau Queens came from behind to beat Butere Girls 2-1 in an exhibition match at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo. The encounter provided head coach Chrispine Odindo with an early opportunity to assess his squad and fine-tune combinations before the school games season got underway. Although staged as part of the Chapa Dimba launch, the fixture also served as an ideal curtain-raiser to the team’s KSSSA campaign. Nyakach Girls have also registered for this season’s Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament and will begin their quest for the grassroots title once the Kisumu County qualifiers kick off after the school games.

Buoyed by the encouraging performance, Nyakach Girls embarked on a remarkable qualification journey. After surrendering the Nyanza regional title to Kobala Girls last year, the Plateau Queens returned determined to reclaim their place at the top. Under Odindo’s guidance, they negotiated the sub-county, county and regional championships without losing a single match, underlining their credentials as genuine contenders for the national crown.

Their campaign began at the Nyakach Sub-County Games, where they quickly stamped their authority on the competition. Drawn alongside Sigoti Secondary School, East Nesbit Secondary School and Sang’oro Secondary School, the Plateau Queens comfortably negotiated the group stage before producing one of the most emphatic performances of the season in the final, thrashing Magunga Girls 7-0 to lift the sub-county title.

The momentum carried into the Kisumu County Championships at Onjiko High School, where Nyakach Girls once again proved too strong for the opposition. After seeing off several county heavyweights, they met Kudho Mixed Secondary School in the final and secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory to successfully defend their county crown and advance to the Nyanza regional championships.

The regional tournament presented a sterner test, but Nyakach Girls continued to show why they remain one of the country’s elite school teams.

Their quest for redemption gathered momentum when they dethroned defending regional champions Kobala Girls, avenging last year’s disappointment before edging St. Mary’s Lwak Girls 1-0 in a tightly contested final to reclaim the Nyanza regional title and complete an unbeaten qualification campaign.

Now they head into the national championship carrying not only the hopes of Kisumu County but also the confidence of a side that has rediscovered its winning rhythm.

Their ambitions have received a significant boost with the return of several key players who were unavailable during parts of the qualification campaign while representing Kenya at international level.

Kenya Under-17 internationals Vallary Achieng, Sheila Atieno, Beryl Awuor and Emily Adhiambo are back in the squad after helping the Junior Starlets qualify for the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup. Their return adds quality, experience and leadership to an already formidable side, while highly rated defender Idah Matara is expected to provide stability at the heart of the defence.

The blend of experienced internationals and talented local players has strengthened belief within the camp that this could be the year Nyakach Girls reclaim the national title. Once the KSSSA campaign concludes, the Plateau Queens will shift their focus to the Safaricom Chapa Dimba competition, where they will be aiming to build on the momentum generated throughout the school games season.

Coach Chrispine Odindo, however, insists his team will not be carried away by the favourites tag. Instead, he has challenged his players to remain disciplined, humble and approach each match on its own merits, qualities that have defined their unbeaten run from the sub-county stage to the regional championship.

That mentality has helped shape one of the most complete teams in this year’s tournament, one capable of defending resolutely while remaining clinical in attack.

As competition begins in Thika with a clash against Coast Region reps Kaya Tiwi from 10.Am , Nyakach Girls are determined to write another memorable chapter in the school’s rich football history. Having come close in recent years and with redemption already achieved at the regional level, the Plateau Queens now have their sights firmly set on the biggest prize in Kenyan school football.

If their unbeaten journey to the nationals is anything to go by, Nyakach Girls possess all the ingredients to mount a serious challenge for the title and restore themselves to the summit of school football before turning their attention to another title pursuit in the Safaricom Chapa Dimba competition.