All set for Chapa Dimba Nairobi Region finals

Makolanders and Safaricom Chapa Dimba All-Stars players in action during the launch of Safaricom Chapa Dimba season 4 at Camp Toyoyo stadium, Nairobi last year. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Eight teams are set for the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Nairobi Regional football finals to be held at Dandora Stadium, Nairobi this weekend.

The outfits lining up for the showpiece include four girls’ teams and four boys’ sides. Teams to contest for the girls’ honours are Masericordiae Queens (Makadara), Page Vision Ladies (Mathare Valley), Dagoretti Mixed girls and Beijing Raiders (Mathare Valley).

The boys battle royal will feature Young Kings FC (Dandora), Lucky Summer Sports Club (Lucky Summer), Macmillan FC (Landimawe) and Dagoretti Lions FC (Dagoretti).

The category champions will each walk away with Sh250,000 while runners up will go home Sh150,000 richer apiece.

Best player, best goal keeper and top scorer in the categories will be awarded Sh30,000 each.

The launch of the Nairobi regional finals was held yesterday at Jacaranda Grounds, Nairobi where the teams’ representatives expressed optimism to perform better in the tournament.

“Apart from identification of talent, Chapa Ndimba has helped our players to stay out of crime,” Lucky Summer Sports Club fan Samuel Baraka told Standard Sports.

Jacaranda Grounds representative Omondi Jakababa reiterated that the launch portrayed Jacaranda Grounds in good light as the venue is famous for all the wrong reasons, politically.

“Our teams that train here are today grateful for the kits and other training gears received from Safaricom,” Jakababa highlighted.

Safaricom Nairobi Regional Business Lead Martin Shere explained they have chosen Dandora Stadium as the venue for their fifth regional finals- after Western, Rift Valley, Coast and North Eastern- because so many youths engaging in football hail from the sprawling slum.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) representative Dickson Doyo stated that the national football governing body is ready to walk the talk with Safaricom towards football and talent development in the country.

“The teams are all up to the task and we hope to witness exciting finals. May the lucky sides carry the day,” Doyo stated.

Ahead of the weekend showpiece, there will be community engagement initiatives that include free Digital and Financial Literacy training which is a collaborative effort between Safaricom and Britam Insurance Company to be held today at Dandora Social Hall.

Additionally, there will be players and coaches’ clinics which will feature valuable lessons in skill development, social values, teamwork, and leadership.

The clinic will also involve training on the use of Safaricom’s newly introduced GPS Sports Vests, which are AI-powered to improve players' performance and open up scouting opportunities.

Safaricom Chapa Dimba is a national grassroots football tournament held in collaboration with the FKF. It was launched in 2017 to give young people (boys and girls) aged 16-20 a platform to showcase, nurture and earn from their talent.

The tournament aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into a vast resource of upcoming talent and build feeder systems for the Kenyan league nationwide, while training 250 coaches.

The tournament has been vital in developing and growing football talents within the country and beyond.

The tournament has produced many talented players such as Benson Omalla of Gor Mahia, currently a top scorer in the FKF Premier League, David Majak of Tusker, Jentrix Shikangwa, Jane Njeri, Cynthia Livondo, and Judith Osimbo among others.

This year, Safaricom has committed over Sh400 million to support the tournament from Mashinani all the way to the national level.