Date set for Road to Anfield tourney

What you need to know:

  • The annual tournament has continued to grow in popularity as more corporates eye an opportunity to travel to Anfield making it very competitive.
  • Last year, a total of 51 teams were hosted. The continued interest has been instrumental in improving standards of the tournament.

This year’s Road to Anfield football tournament will be held on March 14 at St Mary’s School grounds in Nairobi

The five-a-side Stanchart sponsored tourney has attracted 40 teams including Nation FC, Capital FM (2016 global champions), Radio Africa and last year’s Kenyan representatives, Letshego FC, who beat Capital FM 3-2 in post-match penalties, after a 1-1 draw in the normal time.

The participating teams will battle it out for a ticket to represent Kenya in this year’s international round championship scheduled for May at Anfield, the home ground of Premier League giants Liverpool.

During the official launch held in Nairobi on Tuesday, Standard Chartered Bank CEO, Kariuki Ngari said the tournament has grown in leaps and bounds to become an instrumental tool for both engagement and motivation of our partners as well as employees.

“We are cognizant of the contribution of sports in promoting a strong culture and will endeavour to make this tournament much more attractive with lifetime experiences,” she said.

Speaking at the same function, Peter Gitau, the bank's Chief Operating Officer (COO) East Africa reminded players to carry their employment documents for identification purposes and adhere to housekeeping rules during the one-day tournament.

“It has been very challenging for teams to get their visas and would like the team managers to ensure that their players' travelling documents are in order even before they start taking part in the tournament,” Gitau added.

At stake for the winners is a fully paid four-day paid trip to UK, where they will take part in the Standard Chartered Trophy Finals on May 10.

In addition, the winners will attend an English Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield, and will benefit from a professional training session with Liverpool legends and coaches to prepare for the final tournament.

The annual tournament has continued to grow in popularity as more corporates eye an opportunity to travel to Anfield making it very competitive.

Last year, a total of 51 teams were hosted. The continued interest has been instrumental in improving standards of the tournament.