Chapa Dimba na Safaricom heads to Nyanza region
Ichuni FC's Kevin Castanho (left) vies for the ball with Small Simba's Martin Ayieko during their Kisii County Chapa Dimba final on September 10, 2023 at Sameta playing ground.
What you need to know:
- The finals will feature 16 teams from the four counties, eight boys’ and eight girls’, all competing for their respective county titles.
- Each county winner will join the Kisii and Siaya counties winners in the inter-county playoffs set for next week.
The Chapa Dimba na Safaricom football tournament heads to Nyamira, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties this weekend for the Nyanza Region finals following last weekend's events in Siaya and Kisii counties.
The finals will feature 16 teams from the four counties, eight boys’ and eight girls’, all competing for their respective county titles.
Each county winner will join the Kisii and Siaya counties winners in the inter-county playoffs set for next week.
Inter-county winners will proceed to regional finals scheduled for September 30 to October 1 at Mamboleo Showground in Kisumu.
In the Kisii County finals played last week, Small Simba from Bobasi Constituency made a remarkable comeback in second half to beat stubborn Ichuni from Nyaribari Masaba 3-1 to claim the boys’ title.
In the girls' category, Kisii Queens - who are Nyanza regional league winners - secured a 1-0 win against Moteiribe Girls to clinch the title.
In Siaya County, Victoria Sports Academy were crowned the Chapa Dimba County champions in the girls' category after edging out Jera Girls from Ugenya 3-1.
In the boys' category in Siaya County, the match between Ambira Mobimba and St Peter’s Wagai Mixed was abandoned one minute before the final whistle after fans assaulted centre referee Kevin Amol, who had sent off Ambira Mobimba’s Emmanuel Otieno for foul language towards an opponent.
The verdict of the match will be determined by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in the coming days.
On Saturday, action will be in Kisumu and Nyamira counties. In Kisumu, in the boys’ category, Manyatta will face Obunga, while in the girls’ category, Manyatta Ladies will compete against Plateau Ladies at Moi Stadium.
“As the reigning regional and 2019 national champions, we are ready to prove that it was not a fluke. The team has been training diligently and we are sure we will once again emerge on top,” said Antony Oballah, the head coach of Manyatta FC.
Meanwhile, at Kiendege Stadium in Nyamira County, Nyaguku FC will clash with St Peter’s Nyaisa in another mouthwatering boys’ match, as Gekomoni are set to go head-to-head with Rigonia Starlets in the girls’ category.
On Sunday, Mbita High School will be aiming for victory as they face the tactical Karabondi FC in Homa Bay County in the boys’ final.
In the girls' category, Ogande Girls will be going for the county title as they play against Alara Girls at Wakaiga polytechnic grounds.
In Migori County, Awendo Academy face Kangeso Boys in the boys' final while Awendo Ladies will take on Agenga Girls in the girls' category at Migori Stadium.
All matches are scheduled to kick off in the afternoon, with the girls' teams starting at noon and the boys' teams at 2pm.
The winning teams in both the boys’ and girls’ categories will each take home Sh75,000, while the runners-up will pocket Sh30,000.
The top scorers and the best goalkeepers will each receive Sh10,000 as well as the most valuable players.
Alongside prize money, the recognised players will land a TVET scholarship to pursue a course of their choice, courtesy of Safaricom and M-pesa Foundation.
In this year's tournament, Safaricom has committed over Sh400m to support fresh talents across the country.
In the Nyanza region, a total of 530 teams participated in the grassroots games, comprising 412 boys’ teams and 118 girls’ teams, all of which competed from the ward level. Registration for the tournament is currently ongoing in other regions of the country.
