Nation FC savour victory in Standard Chartered Road to Anfield tournament

Nation FC players will also watch a live English Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield in May 2025.

The Enterprising Mbithi scored the match-winner with a powerful shot after connecting with a well-taken free-kick by captain Elijah Ouko.

After the final match, an elated Ouko paid glowing tribute to his team mates and coach Sam Kiplagat for giving their all in the tournament.

“It has been tough, but we gave our all in the tournament. Even when it rained, we still showed up and attended training sessions, and the results are here to be seen by all," Ouko said.

"We started well by winning the first match by a big margin, and that set the pace for us. We drew our next two games, but we won our last group game and progressed to the next stage. It is the result of collective effort under our coach Sam Kiplagat,” he added.

Ouko also lauded the team’s fighting spirit in the tournament.

“I thank the players for fighting bravely even when we were trailing our opponents. We fell behind against our opponents in some matches but we fought back and won. In some cases we rallied from behind to draw. I thank the whole team because the players gave their all. It is a befitting win for Nation FC, the Invincibles of 2024 Standard Chartered Road to Anfield tournament,” he said.

It was a befitting victory for Nation FC, which lost to Standard Media Group in the final of 2013 tournament, and also lost the final match of the 2017 tournament against Letshego.

But this time there was no denying them as they swept aside all their opponents on their way to the final.

Nation topped a tough Group ‘H’ with eight points after thumping Kenya Airways ‘B’ 4-0 with a brace from Mbithi and Cliff Chirchir.

They then drew 3-3 against Radio Africa and 0-0 against CFAO Mobility ‘B’ before defeating Wananchi Group ‘A’ 2-1.

Against Radio Africa, Nation trailed 0-2 after Mike Indeku and George Ajwala beat Mwasya in goal, but regrouped quickly to take the lead 3-2 with goals from Ouko, Eric Musungu, and Mbithi only to concede a late goal from Aidan Kaikai to share spoils. 

Nation FC also came from a goal down against Wananchi with Musungu and Mbithi on target. 

Nation FC then beat Kenya Airways ‘A’ 3-1 in the round of 16 stage with Musungu and Mbithi on target after Elvis Mageto had given Kenya Airways the lead.

In the quarter-finals they beat Kenya Nut ‘B’ 1-0 before seeing off Batuk ‘A’ 2-0 in the semis with goals from Mbithi and Allan Munga. To reach the final, Deloitte beat Bata Shoe 2-1 in the second semi-final match.

The 40-team tournament graced by Liverpool FC legend Jason McAteer. 

Nation FC started preparing for the Standard Chartered Bank-sponsored tournament three weeks ago with regular training sessions at Ngara Football Turf.

All-expense paid trip in Liverpool

Nation FC’s Brian Mwasya won the best goalkeeper award, while Alex Amudavi from Radio Africa took the Golden Boot award with eight goals.

“The tournament showcased finesse, team spirit, and sportsmanship. It was a celebration of fair play, camaraderie, and thrilling competition. We congratulate Nation FC on their well-deserved win,” Standard Chartered Bank’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand, and Marketing for Kenya and Africa, Joyce Kibe said while presenting the winners’ trophy and medals to Nation FC. 

“I thank the 40 corporate teams that participated in this year’s tournament, as well as our clients and partners, for making this event such a tremendous success,” she added.

During the all-expense paid trip in Liverpool, the seven-member Nation FC team will also have a chance to attend training sessions at Liverpool FC Academy with the club’s legends, and will be taken on a tour of Liverpool FC’s museum. The team will also visit The Beatles Museum. 

Captain Ouko, who is fan of Arsenal FC, relished an opportunity to watch the Gunners live at Anfield.

“Watching Liverpool play Arsenal at Anfield promises to be very exciting, given the history of the two teams, and the match-ups between the great players and coaches from the two teams. We are glad to have won the tournament, and to qualify to be at Anfield. We will still play some friendly matches in the coming days to ensure we stay fit and ready to represent Kenya at Anfield,” he said.