St. Anthony's file appeal against St. Joseph's over controversial County finals soccer match

St. Anthony's Kitale soccer team popularly known as ‘Solidarity Boys' have filed an appeal against their opponents, St. Joseph’s Boys Kitale, in the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Trans Nzoia County football finals.

St. Anthony’s head coach Peter Mayoyo has dismissed the result of the match played at Kipkeikei High School grounds, where they lost 2-0 to their neighbours and arch-rivals St. Joseph’s on Monday afternoon.

Coach Mayoyo told Citizen Digital that they have already filed their complaints at the County Education Director’s office, with the case set to be heard on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

The tactician claims their opponents flouted some of the rules of the games, including fielding players over the required age of 19.

“Our opponents fielded players who are over-age, and have several other cases contrary to the KSSSA Constitution, especially on transfer of players who must be bona fide students who have stayed in their respective schools for at least 90 days before the start of the preliminaries at the Sub County level, except for Form One,” said Mayoyo.

Mayoyo claimed he also has evidence of some of the players having multiple birth certificates, contrary to the rules.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the team noted that majority of their players are not supposed to participate in the school games due to various infractions.

“It is disheartening, therefore, to witness episodes that jeopardize these values. Our recent match against St. Joseph's Boys Kitale brought to fore significant concerns regarding fair play. It has come to our attention that an overwhelming majority of their players, 98% to be precise, have cases to answer the and are not supposed to participate in the under-19 school games, a violation that cannot be overlooked.”

Mayoyo said they will continue advocating for fair play in their competitions.

“Accepting such impunity would be a disservice to not only our team but to the spirit of fair competition that nurtures true talent and sportsmanship. The incident, while unfortunate, does not deter our resolve. It reinforces our commitment to fighting for a transparent, just, and equitable sporting environment. Losing with honour in the shadow of such adversity is, in itself, a profound honour. It underscores our dedication to upholding the principles of fair play.”