Kenya's esports teams battle for global games tickets

The Kenya national esports team will on Saturday compete in two separate rounds of the Global Esports Games African qualification matches.

The eFootball category has attracted 12 teams drawn into two groups of six each with four slots up for grabs.

Kenya is in Group B alongside South Sudan, Senegal, Djibouti, Somalia and Algeria while Pool A comprises Namibia, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Tunisia and South Africa.

The top two teams from each group gain automatic qualification, while the first and second runners-up face-off in the semi finals to battle out for the two additional slots.

Teenage sensation Harry “Kappa” Thuku will be Kenya's sole representative in this category.

In the mobile games category, the Kenyan PUBG Mobile team will face-off with nine other African nations with three slots on the line.

Algeria, Djibouti, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia are the other teams in the race for the mobile games qualification.

The 4v4 game involves all teams at the virtual arena competing at the same time.

The Kenyan PUBG team is coached by Allan “Serge” Kimani and includes Farhan “Riot” Mughal, Jeff “Spiky” Itale, Jonathan “Shakid” Ngugi, Rheinehold “Shot” Shume and Douglas “777” Karuku.

Kenya’s women dota2 team has already qualified for the global showpiece after emerging top of their African qualifiers. The global esports extravaganzais set to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December.

Newly elected Esports Federation President Ronny Lusigi is confident more Kenyan teams will qualify.

“We have a strong team. Our gamers have the talent, and I am confident we shall do well. We shall give them the necessary support in terms of proper location for 5G internet connectivity and any other necessary support," Lusigi said on Friday.

The matches will all be played online with internet connectivity provided by Huawei who have offered 5G routers to ensure efficiency.

"Huawei is thrilled to partner with the esports team and support gamers in Kenya. We understand that seamless connectivity is crucial for esports gamers, and that's why we're excited to provide 5G routers to ensure they can connect to high-speed 5G networks, enabling them to perform at their best," Maureen Mwaniki, Public Relations Director at Huawei Kenya, said.

"We believe in the power of technology to elevate gaming experiences, and this partnership exemplifies our commitment to enhancing the esports ecosystem in the country."