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John Osogo Secondary School from Budalangi and Teens of Hope FC from Nambale treated fans to a thrilling football match in the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Busia County finals, held at Otimong Primary Grounds in Nambale Constituency.
John Osogo knocked out hosts Teens of Hope 1-0 to be crowned Busia County champions after masterful winger Evans Siande netted the decisive goal in the 31st min. They will play at the Western region finals set for Bukhungu in Kakamega from Saturday 26th to Sunday 27th.
It was a challenging day for the Kingandole Queens in the Girls’ Category, who endured a substantial 4-1 defeat against their long-standing rivals, the Chakol Queens. Maximilla Apio of Chakol quickly made her mark by opening the scoring sheet in the match’s first minute. Kingandole Queens, however, responded immediately with a goal from Phozy Achieng in the 2nd minute to level the game again. In the 22nd minute, Sharon Akumu breached Kingandole’s defence with a stunning cross, propelling the Chakol Queens into the lead. Subsequently, Abigael Ilukor and Lilian Achom extended Chakol’s dominance by scoring in the 25th and 42nd minutes, respectively.
Manyatta United, Kitale Queens win the Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom National Finals
Speaking after winning the Busia Chapa Dimba finals, Chakol Queens’ coach Antony Kalia thanked Safaricom for providing a platform that aims at giving young people an opportunity to showcase their talents from the grassroots level. His focus now shifts to the regional finals.
“My players showcased a good game today. They capitalized on every chance they got that earned us a victory. Our focus now shifts to the regional finals as we have less than a week before we play finals scheduled for this coming weekend. We thank Safaricom for such an amazing initiative to support young talents. We need more initiatives here at the grassroots to help expose many untapped talents,” Said Antony Kalia, Coach Chakol Queens.
The winning teams each took home KES 75,000 cash Prize, with the runners-up Kingandole and Teens of Hope, pocketing KES 30,000 each. The top scorers and Best Goalkeepers each took home KES. 10,000 with the Most Valuable Players (Golden Ball) from both the boys’ and girls’ teams, each receiving a similar amount, and the TVET scholarships courtesy of the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations.
“I am excited about emerging as the winners of Busia County; our opponents provided worthy competition. We started with great momentum, and I am delighted we upheld that spirit. Looking ahead to the upcoming regional finals, our goal is nothing short of victory. I extend my gratitude to Safaricom and our fans for their support, as we promise to bring the trophy home,” Said Melissa Amusolo, a player at Chakol Girls
John Osogo and Chakol Queens join Compel Sportif and Brenda Girls from Bungoma, Madira Girls, and Ebwali Boys from Vihiga, who already qualified for the Western region finals.
The last Western Region County finals is for Kakamega County, scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, 13th August, at Kakamega High School Grounds, with Lugari Progressive taking on Kakamega Starlets in the Girls category and Lugusi Boys with The Menace in the Boys’ Category.
This year, Western Kenya registered a total of 441 teams participating in the tournament, with Kakamega leading at 162, followed by Bungoma (152), Busia (64), and Vihiga (63).
Safaricom Chapa Dimba aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent, build feeder systems for the Kenyan football leagues nationwide, and train 250 coaches. The football tournament targets young people aged between 16 and 20 years old.
