During Friday’s Safaricom Chapa Dimba matches at the Pan Paper Grounds in Webuye, Brenda Girls and Compel Sportiff achieved victory as the Bungoma County Champions. They outperformed their opponents, Kim Girls and Sirare Youth FC. As a result, they earned their spots in the upcoming Western Region Finals scheduled for August 26th and 27th at Bukhungu Stadium.
Seizing their home advantage, the spirited Brenda Girls showcased their prowess by triumphing over their rivals, the Kim Girls from Mt. Elgon, with an impressive score of 6-0. The instrumental force behind this remarkable victory was Esther Mukhwana, who found the net within the opening minute of the game and then later secured another goal in the 57th minute. Angel Namodi further bolstered the team’s success with two goals, striking in the 17th and 32nd minutes, while Joina Namukuru contributed two more goals in rapid succession during the 29th and 38th minutes.
“This is the second year we are participating in the Chapa Dimba, last edition we were knocked out at the sub-county level but this year I am happy we have managed to secure a slot to play at the regional finals. We dominated the entire game and we look forward to replicating the same tactics in the regional final matches. Safaricom has done us proud, our girls now feel motivated after winning a cash prize of KES 75,000 in today’s county finals,” Dickson Simiyu, Coach, Brenda Girls’.
In a separate fixture within the Boys’ category, Sirare Youth encountered a challenging 2-0 loss against the strong Compel Sportiff hailing from Webuye East. The scoring action was initiated by Chetambe Chaton, who registered a goal in the 17th minute. This was then followed by Randu Joseph extending the lead during the 57th minute of the match, a blow that Sirare Youth couldn’t find a way to counter.
“Today’s game was quite challenging, but we managed to secure a victory. As a team, our focus now shifts to the regional finals, and we’re dedicated to rigorous daily training in preparation for the upcoming finals. We understand that the competition won’t be easy, as we’ll be facing champions from other counties. However, we are committed to bringing the trophy home. I want to express my gratitude to Safaricom for the generous KES 10,000 prize and the TVET scholarship provided through the Safaricom Foundation. This support will greatly aid my chosen career path once I complete my high school education,” said Silas Wafula, a player at Compel Sportiff.
Brenda Girls and Compel Sportiff were both awarded a cash prize of KES 75,000 each, while the second-place teams, Kim Girls and Sirare Youth, received KES 30,000 each. The leading goal scorers and the Best Goalkeepers were each presented with KES 10,000. The Most Valuable Players (Golden Ball recipients) from both the boys’ and girls’ teams were each granted a comparable amount, along with TVET scholarships facilitated by the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations.
The two teams join Madira Girls and Ebwali Boys from Vihiga who already qualified for the Western region finals.
After Bungoma County, the third county finals head to Busia tomorrow (Saturday) at Otimong Primary Grounds, and Kakamega on Sunday at Kakamega High School Grounds before culminating into the regional finals at Bukhungu Stadium next weekend.
This year, Western Kenya registered a total of 441 teams participating in the tournament with Kakamega leading at 162, followed by Bungoma (152), Busia (64), and Vihiga (63).
Safaricom Chapa Dimba aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent and build feeder systems for the Kenyan football leagues across the country while also training a total of 250 coaches. The football tournament targets young people aged between 16 and 20 years old.