What an exciting journey this has been! It began delightfully for us all after the Football Federation of Kenya (FKF) announced that 1,600 teams had been listed to participate in the second season of the Chapa Dimba na Safaricom tournament. We looked forward with glorious expectation at the start. This was on the last weekend of October 2018 where the first group matches were played in the Western Region. It did not disappoint.
The tournament then took us on a remarkable odyssey to Nyanza then Rift Valley, followed by Eastern, Coast, Central, North Eastern and came to an end in Nairobi. Each round had its fair share of excitement and the quality of soccer had greatly improved since the first season of Chapa Dimba na Safaricom. It was notable that Kenyans were keen on keeping tabs on the outcomes of the games, not just because they were looking at their former schools but also, because there was so much talent to be discovered. Besides, the best players from the tournament were being sought out from across the country.
It was at the end of the regional finals that the Chapa Dimba All Star team was unveiled. This team attended a highly organized ten-day training camp in Catalonia Spain where they were privileged to meet La Liga coaches. The team included 32 of the best players – 17 boys and 15 girls that had been carefully selected from across the country during the eight regional finals. Talk about exposure!
The players are back and have been training with their local teams, showcasing what they have learned and preparing for the national finals. It will be an unmissable event.
This national football tournament for male and female youth aged between 16-20 years is transforming lives already. One remarkable example is Jane Njeri who plays for SGF Barcelona in Naivasha. Jane did not have the best experience while growing up. Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom created an avenue for her to play football and gave her the reward of being named in the All-Star team that travelled to Spain for a training camp, an experience that she will never forget.
Two players who participated in the season 1 namely, James Omsinde and John Njuguna, got call-ups to the Kenya national under-20 team. Three others, David Majak, Fredrick Krop and Oscar Kengwa were signed up by Kenya Premier League teams. It will be great to see what talent will be discovered at the end of this season.
National finals
In what has already been billed as a must attend tournament for talent scouts, the national finals takes place June 20th to 23rd at the Kinoru stadium in Meru. Apart from the talent that will be on showcase, the legendary Spanish footballer Luis Javier Garcia will be in the country.
Garcia played for top European clubs including Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. He played 150 games in LaLiga scoring 22 goals and representing his country 20 times. He was a member of Spain’s 2006 World Cup squad as well. He also played for Liverpool in the English Premier League, winning the Champions League in that time.
During his visit, Mr. Garcia will take part in some mentorship clinics, attending the semifinal and final games of the tournament.
It will be worth watching and looking forward to the outcome of the tournament that features eight boys’ teams and seven girls’ teams from eight regions that will battle it out to be crowned national champions and a chance to walk away with cash prizes as well as phones and airtime.
Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom holds promise for soccer in our country. Never before have we witnessed a platform given to these young people to showcase their talent and an opportunity to earn from their passion.
Teams that qualify for the semifinals are set to pocket sh.250,000/= each, while the finalists will take home sh.500,000/=. The overall winners in each category will receive sh.1 Million among other individual prizes.
SUMMARY OF THE FIXTURES
GIRLS QUARTER-FINAL FIXTURES
Quarter- Finals 1
Acakoro Ladies (Nairobi) vs Ndhiwa Queens (Nyanza)
Thur, 20th June 9:30am @Kinoru Stadium
Quarter- Finals 2
St Marys Ndovea (Eastern) vs Barcelona Ladies (Central)
Thur, 20th June 11:30am @ Kinoru Stadium
Quarter- Finals 3
Arch Bishop Njenga (Western) vs Kitale Queens (Rift)
Thur, 20th June 9:30am @ Meru Polytechnic
Quarter-Finals 4
Changamwe Ladies (Coast) –bye to Semis
GIRLS SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES
Semi-Final 1
Winner Quarter- Final 1 vs Changamwe Ladies
Fri, 21st June 10am
Semi-Final 2
Winner Quarter-Final 2 vs Winner Quarter-Final 3
Fri, 21st June, 12pm
BOYS QUARTER-FINAL FIXTURES
Quarter- Finals 1
Lugari Blue Saints (Western) v Super Solico (Eastern)
Thur, 20th June 1:30pm @ Kinoru
Quarter- Finals 2
Euronuts (Central) v Manyatta United (Nyanza)
Thur, 20th June, 3:30pm @Kinoru
Quarter- Finals 3
Berlin FC (North Eastern) v Al Ahly (Rift)
Thur, 20th June, 11:30pm @Meru Polytechnic
Quarter- Finals 4
Shimanzi Youth (Coast) v South B United (Nairobi)
Thur, 20th June, 1:30pm @Meru Polytechnic
BOYS SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES
Semi-Finals 1
Winner Quarter-Final 1 vs Winner Quarter-Final 2
Sat, 22nd June 10am
Semi-Final 2
Winner Quarter-Final 3 vs Winner Quarter-Final 4
Sat, 22nd June 12:20pm
