Sweet Revenge: St. Mary’s Kitende Starts FEASSA 2024 Campaign with a 2-0 Victory Over Highway High School

By Emmanuel Sekago

In a highly anticipated rematch, defending champions St. Mary’s Kitende kicked off their 21st edition of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA).

Games campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over Kenya’s Highway High School. The match, played today, Monday, August 19th, 2024, at Amus College School’s main ground, saw goals from Kisiriko Denis in the 36th minute and Agok Santos in the 80th minute, silencing the Kenyan national champions.

Highway High School came into the match eager to replicate their 2022 heroics when they famously defeated St. Mary’s Kitende 1-0 in the semifinals in Arusha, Tanzania. However, this time around, they had to accept that St. Mary’s Kitende remains in a league of its own when it comes to the FEASSA Games.

The stadium, packed to its full capacity, was overwhelmingly in support of St. Mary’s Kitende. The Teso zone, known for its enthusiastic support whenever Kitende competes, proved once again to be a favorable ground for the Ugandan powerhouse.

Speaking to Wallnetnews, Mulajje Ronald, St. Mary’s Kitende’s games teacher, emphasized that Kitende came to the competition with one goal: to win the trophy. “We are here for the competition, not just to visit. Every match we play is treated like a final. Anyone who faces Kitende should not expect an easy game—we came for the trophy, period,” said Ronald.

St. Mary’s Kitende will be back in action tomorrow, Tuesday, August 20th, 2024, at 3:00 PM, where they will face the hosts Bukedea Comprehensive School, who also opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory against Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School on Sunday, August 18th, 2024, at the newly constructed Bukedea Sports Complex.

Other notable matches scheduled for tomorrow include St. Julian School (Uganda) vs. Kalangala Secondary (Tanzania) at 11:00 AM, Co-host Amus College (Uganda) vs. APE-Rugunga (Rwanda) at 11:00 AM on Pitch B, St. Joseph Kitale (Kenya) vs. Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School (Tanzania) at 3:00 PM on Pitch A.

In the girls’ category, co-host Amus College School had a rough start, losing 2-0 to Kenya’s national champions, Butere Girls. Despite having numerous chances to score, poor finishing cost Amus College dearly.

Calvin Opio, the games teacher at Amus College, acknowledged the disappointing start but expressed confidence that the team would bounce back strongly.

Tomorrow’s girls’ matches will see, Amus College School (Uganda) vs. Rines Secondary School (Uganda) in a must-win match for Amus if they hope to progress, GS Remera (Rwanda) vs. Butere Girls (Kenya), Defending champions Kawempe Muslim (Uganda) vs. St. Joseph’s Girls – Kitale (Kenya) and Tanzanite Secondary School (Tanzania) vs. Nyakach Girls (Kenya).

As the FEASSA Games continue, all eyes will be on these teams as they battle for supremacy in the region. With Kitende off to a strong start, the competition promises to be intense as each school fights to claim the top honors.