True Talents clinch Ligi Ndogo Under 19 title

True Talents of Africa have been crowned the new Ligi Ndogo East Africa Cup Under 19 champions.

The Nairobi-based football academy clinched the title after pipping Ligi Ndogo 4-3 on post-match penalties in an action-packed thriller at the Lenana School grounds on Sunday.

The sides had played out to a barren draw in regulation time.

Speaking after the match, True Talents coach Kelvin Maoko hailed his charges, saying they displayed great character in the closely contested encounter.

“Our opponents gave us a run for our money and we are glad we overcame the challenge. This tournament has produced some of the top players on the continent. We look forward to defending our title next year,” said Maoko.

Team captain Cedric Junior attributed their feat to a concerted effort between the playing unit and members of the technical bench.

“Our hard work and determination bore fruits. The tournament was competitive and I'm extremely happy to be a winner,” Junior said.

True Talents effectively dethroned Berlin FC from Garissa as U19 champions. Berlin nonetheless brushed aside the setback to bag the Under 17 title.

Kings Football Academy won the U15 category after seeing off Sindo Victoria from Homa Bay 4-3 on penalties, following a barren draw in the regulation time.

In the Under 13 categories, goals from Timothy Odhiambo and Felix Otieno were enough to hand Legacy FC a well-deserved 2-0 win over UFA Simba 2-0.

Teletubbies Kids League (TKL) from Uganda beat Legacy 1-0 to clinch the Under 11 title. Forward Swaifula Chaka netted the lone goal to take his tally to nine.

UFA Simba and Black Panthers were the winners in Under 7 and Under 9 categories respectively. The tournament, which started in 2005, attracted more than 2,000 players

Edited by Tony Mballa