Eight teams will battle for the Western Region crown in the fifth edition of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament this weekend at Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, Bungoma.
The regional finals, scheduled for August 15 and 16, will feature four boys’ and four girls’ teams drawn from Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega and Vihiga counties.
In the girls’ category, hosts Elgon Queens will face Kakamega’s Lugari Progressive in the opening semi-final, while Vihiga’s Blue Commandos take on defending Busia champions Chakol Queens in the second semi-final.
The boys’ semi-finals will see hosts Terem FC face Vihiga Cranes, while Busia’s Musokoto Secondary School will meet Kakamega’s Green Buffaloes.
Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa urged football fans across Western Kenya to turn up for the two-day competition and support the young players.
The winners of the boys’ and girls’ finals will each receive KES 250,000 and earn a place at the national finals, while the runners-up will each take home KES 150,000.
Individual honours will also be awarded, with the Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer in each category receiving KES 30,000. The Most Valuable Player will also receive KES 30,000 and a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme.
The Western Region attracted 521 teams during the county-level competition, including 340 boys’ and 181 girls’ teams. Kakamega recorded the highest participation with 214 teams, followed by Bungoma with 160, Busia with 79 and Vihiga with 68.
Nationwide, the fifth edition attracted 3,178 teams, comprising 2,367 boys’ and 811 girls’ teams.
The tournament’s Season 5 All-Star team will represent Kenya at the Gothia Cup in Sweden, allowing standout players to compete at one of the world’s largest youth football tournaments