Safaricom Chapa Dimba heads to Coast region this weekend with eight teams (four boys and four girls’ teams) set for a tough regional title clash at Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa County.
The eight teams include Bahati FC from Taita Taveta, Bandari Youth from Mombasa, Gunners from Tana River, and King Royal from Lamu in the boys’ category. The girls’ category will feature Changamwe Ladies from Mombasa, Ukunda Queens from Kwale, Bull Queens from Kilifi and Wenje Sec from Tana River.
Kicking off the action on Saturday with the first semi-final, will be Kilifi’s Bulls Starlets facing off Wenje Secondary School. The second clash will feature a matchup between Tana River’s Gunners FC and King Royal from Lamu, both recently crowned champions in their respective counties.
The third match will see the home team Changamwe Ladies play against Ukunda Starlets from Kwale. Following this, the climax of Saturday’s action-packed matches will unfold, featuring the home team, Bandari Youth, in a tough battle against Tana River’s Ganners. Both teams are determined to secure victory, aiming to claim the regional title and earn the opportunity to represent the region in the national finals.
“Our goal is to win all our weekend matches and secure the regional title, granting us the opportunity to represent the Coast region at the national level. I know this is achievable as we are prepared and in good form. We have maintained a regular training schedule, even during the festive season, and our participation in a few local competitions has strengthened our team significantly. With Chapa Dimba in this region, we have had the privilege of witnessing some amazing untapped talents, not only in Mombasa but across the entire Coast region. I hope that some of these players get scouted and earn opportunities to play in our local clubs, the national team, and even in international leagues,” said Alex Shikenga, Head Coach of Bandari Youth FC.
The weekend’s showdown follows successful grassroots games that proceeded to sub-county, county and inter-county playoff games played across the six counties of the Coast Region that attracted a total of 277 teams.
The weekend matches will be preceded by players and coach clinics at same facility and will involve training on various aspects of the football tournament including the use of GPS Sports Vests, which Safaricom has introduced to aid in the scouting of players by collecting data and building on the players profiles during the matches using metrics that are globally recognized and accepted.
The winners from each semi-final group will vie for victory in the finals slated for Sunday, where each winning team (boys and girls) will take home KES. 250,000 and book a slot to represent the region at the national finals set for early next year. The runners-up teams will take home KES. 150,000 each. The Best Goalkeeper, Top Scorer and Most Valuable (boys and girls) will each receive KES. 30,000. In addition to the prize money each player, both winners and runners-up will also get Neon Smartphones, the first locally assembled 4G smartphone in Kenya.
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 tournament targets footballers aged between 16 and 20 years old.