Weekend clash for young stars in Chapa Dimba tournament
Stakes are high for talented young soccer players as curtains fall in the Nyanza region Chapa Dimba tournament this weekend.
A high-octane tournament is expected in the Nyanza regional finals that will go down at the Moi Stadium in Kisumu City, with players looking to unleash their best game ever to attract a special slot in an all-star studded team that will be selected to attend a training camp in Spain.
New Nyanza region winners will be crowned after the defending champions Plateau Queens and Ombek Red Devils were unable to go past the group stages.
The fact that new winners will be crowned makes it must attend match for ardent spectators who will find it even more exciting to watch an adrenaline rush when key teams battle to outdo each other.
REWARD
All winners also stand a chance to walk away with a cash reward of Sh200,000 each as well as a chance to represent the region in the tournament’s national finals later in the year. Runners- up will also pocket Sh100, 000.
More than 200 teams from the region took part in the preliminary rounds of the tournament which were narrowed down to just eight teams, highlighting how competitive the finals will be.
Nyamira Springs will face off with Victory Strikers from Kisii while Nyamaharaga from Kuria will take on Manyatta boys in the boy’s semi-finals.
Kisumu’s Manyatta Girls will fight off Kisii SA Ladies while Migori Education Centre will play NCEOD Queens from Homabay in the girl’s semis.
SPAIN TRIP
The qualifying teams in the Nyanza tournament will raise their cash prize even higher when they meet their counterparts in the national finals slated for June 2019.
The winning teams will each receive a Sh1 million cash prize. It is from the National champion’s team that an all-star team will be selected to attend a training camp in Spain.
Two best players male and female per region will be selected to go for the 10-day training boot camp in LaLiga Spain
The teams that have so far qualified for the finals are Blue Saints and Bishop Njenga Girls who emerged winners at the Bukhungu Stadium in the Western region finals.
SCOUTS
Spanish officials will be on ground scouting for the best boy and girl player in the Western Region tournament that will go down at Bukhungu Stadium on Sunday.
Defending Rift Valley champions, Kapenguria Heroes lost out in the group stages, meaning they will not have a chance to participate in the national finals.
Each top Scorer, Best Player and Best Goalkeeper will walk away with Sh 30,000 from the tournament.
TALENT
Chapa Dimba, a Safaricom initiative, draws talented male and female youth aged between 16-20 years of age to participate in a football tournament.
The initiative aims to transform the lives of young people by giving them a platform to showcase their talent and an opportunity to earn from their love of the game.
The tournament is open and encourages participants from Nairobi, Eastern, Western, Nyanza, Rift, Coast, Central and North Eastern regions.
Participants selects their own team of 15 players and 2 officials for the group stages and can recruit 3 additional players for the next level.
ALL-STARS
This season, Safaricom partnered with LaLiga and FKF to scout for the best talents that can be used to boost level of footballers in the country.
Under the partnership, a scouting programme was developed to allow certified LaLiga coaches to travel to Kenya for each regional final to search for talented players, both boys and girls, who will make up an all-star team.
The Star-studded team will get an opportunity to play a few friendly games against the world’s best Spanish LaLiga academies. The aim is for the winners to get exposure and training in world class facilities.
Safaricom has invested heavily in nurturing local talent and affirms its belief that empowering the youth by providing a platform for young upcoming footballers to showcase their talent and skill will play a great role in transforming the community.
