Football teams across Mombasa County will compete for a Sh1 million prize when the second edition of the Shahbal Super Cup kicks off in November, with organisers seeking to identify emerging talent and strengthen grassroots football.
The tournament will use a ward-based format, allowing local teams to showcase their players and compete for prizes.
The initiative also aims to create a pathway for emerging players to reach professional football and help establish another Mombasa-based club in the top flight.
Speaking during the launch at Serani Sports Ground in Mombasa on Saturday, October 24, Suleiman Shahbal said the competition could help produce another team capable of playing in the Kenya Premier League (KPL).
“This second edition of the Super Cup will produce the next Kenya Premier League team in Mombasa, and we will name it Mombasa City, just like in Manchester, where we have Manchester City and Manchester United. We will have Mombasa United and Mombasa City in the KPL,” said Shahbal.
He urged young people to register their teams and use the tournament to showcase their football talent.
“To our Mombasa youth, this is your opportunity to shine, just like in the first edition. Register your teams, and let’s do it,” he added.
Shahbal's remarks come amid questions over his commitment to Mombasa United following reports that he had withdrawn his sponsorship of the club after its promotion to the top flight.
He dismissed the reports, maintaining that he remained committed to the club, which he said he had helped build from the grassroots.
“We started Mombasa United from the grassroots to the Premier League, and that was our objective. Why should I leave now? This is my team; it is our team, and Anza Fresh has built it. These stories that I have withdrawn my sponsorship are not true,” he maintained.
The club has also been exploring alternative sponsorship options, with its president, Abdirahman Hussein, popularly known as Anza Fresh, and Chief Executive Officer Nick Arunga indicating that they were engaging potential partners.
Shahbal disclosed that the club's leadership was pursuing support from SportPesa and Azam.
“President Anza Fresh and I are working together for the team. We met with the SportPesa chairman in Dubai, and he promised to support us. We are still in communication with Azam, and we hope to secure sponsorship there as well. We are in good terms,” he added.
He also accused politicians of attempting to introduce divisions into the club and urged them to stay out of its affairs.
“All those politicians bringing politics to the team, where were they when we were struggling? Now that the team is the talk of the town, they are trying to bring fights into the team. Kindly keep politics out of Mombasa United,” Shahbal urged.
He challenged the Mombasa County Government to support the club, arguing that its participation in the top flight offered an opportunity to promote the county while developing local football talent.
The second edition of the Shahbal Super Cup is expected to build on the inaugural tournament's focus on grassroots football, with organisers seeking to identify emerging players and strengthen Mombasa's presence in the national game.
