Joshua Wirite of Ichuni FC (L) tussles for the ball with Rashid Williamin of Small Simba FC during the Chapa Dimba County finals in Kisii at Sameta grounds
The counties of Nyamira, Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori will this weekend be abuzz with scintillating football action as the Safaricom Chapa Dimba heads comes to the Nyanza County finals coming hot on the heels of last weekend’s events in Siaya and Kisii counties.
The upcoming finals will feature 16 teams from the four counties, eight boys’ and eight girls’, all competing for their respective county titles, after which the county champions will will join Kisii and Siaya County qualifiers — Small Simba FC, Kisii Queens, and Victoria Sports Academy — in the inter-county playoffs set for next week before proceeding to the regional finals scheduled for September 30 to October 1 at Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu.
According to Anthony Oballah, the head coach of the reigning regional and 2019 national champions Manyatta FC, the team will be raring to go all out to defend their regional title.
“As the champions, we are ready to prove that it was not a fluke so we are sending a warning to the other competitors that we are coming to carry the title again. The team has been training diligently and we are sure we will once again emerge on top. We are excited about is the discovery of new talent during the run of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament,” Oballah said.
“One of our own, Benson Omala, has gone on to achieve great things in the Kenya Premier League side Gor Mahia, and also represented our country as part of the Harambee Stars squad,” Oballah noted.
Action takes center stage starting Saturday in Kisumu and Nyamira counties. In Kisumu, in the boys’ category, Manyatta FC will face off with Obunga FC, while in the girls’ category Manyatta Ladies will compete against Plateau Ladies for the Kisumu County Championship at Moi Stadium.
At the Kiendege Stadium in Nyamira County, Nyaguku FC will clash with St. Peter’s Nyaisa in another exciting boys’ match, as Gekomoni go head-to-head with Rigonia Starlets.
On Sunday, action will see Mbita High School aiming for victory as they face the tactical Karabondi FC in Homa Bay County. In the girls’ category, Ogande Girls will be competing for the county title as they play against Alara Girls at Wakaiga Polytechnic Grounds.
In Migori County, it promises to be an extraordinary day of soccer excitement as Awendo Academy squares off against Kangeso Boys in the boys’ category, while Awendo Ladies 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 Sh 75,000, while the runners-up will each take home Sh 30,000. Additionally, outstanding players will be recognized.
The top scorers and the Best Goalkeepers from both the boys’ and girls’ teams will each receive Sh 10,000. The Most Valuable Players (MVP) will take home Sh 10,000, plus an additional TVET scholarship to pursue a course of their choice, courtesy of Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations.
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. For more information on how to register and/or get match fixtures, visit: https://chapadimba.safaricom.co.ke/matches/
