Malindi-based Progressive FC will play in the FKF Division One after being crowned champions in FKF Division Two Northern Zone after edging out Machakos-based Avena FC in the final of the mini-league held at Mbaraki Grounds, Mombasa.Progressive will have 18 year old Progressive High school student Patrick Daido to thank for literally gifting them the title with his hattrick in the final match.Daido opened the scoring with five minutes to play in the first half and doubled the lead just over the hour mark before completing his hattrick in quick succession to seal the game for his side.Progressive’s coach Elly noted that he will have to bring in more mature players to help the team in Division One as a big number of his players are form four students set to sit for their final exams in March.”We had planned well for the game and it was right that we won the game because no team in the Division had intense training that we did. We majored on the technical issues because knockout games do not have so much beneath them. It will be my first time in the Division having in mind that I was in the NSL as a physio. It is a step forward for me. I will strengthen the squad because the majority of the players are form fours and are set to do their KCSE in March so I will have to look for mature players who will back the team,” the winning coach said.Despite losing in the final, Avena FC will also play in the third division in the country in the 2021/2022 campaign as both finalists had a guaranteed spot in Division One.The Malindi-based side had a close to perfect season, losing only one out of the 26 games that they played during the season.On their way to the final, Progressive saw off Kajiado-based Nkanas FC by beating them 3-1 in the semi while Avena eliminated Mombasa’s Wananyuki after hitting them 2-0.The two teams will be hoping they can emulate Mully Childrens Family who were promoted from the same Division in 2019 and have gone on to make their way up to the ladder to the National Super League.
