Vihiga’s champions, Ebwali Boys, are set to clash with Compel Sportif from Bungoma in the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Western region finals scheduled for Sunday, August 27 at Bukhungu Stadium.
Ebwali displayed resilience against The Menace from Kakamega, clinching a 3-2 victory in the last match of the day-long semifinals, witnessed by a massive crowd.
Ebwali took the lead in the 12th-minute courtesy of a splendid goal by Austin Ondongo. Sharif Muranda equalized for The Menace with a well-placed freekick just 10 minutes before halftime. Ebwali commenced the second half on a strong note, and Tom Oserio’s thunderous shot reestablished their lead.
Captain Derrick Oketch secured the third goal in the 65th minute amidst a six-yard box scramble. The Menace fought back, with Muranda netting his second goal through a penalty 7 minutes before the end, but Ebwali held on to win and advance to the Western region final.
Derrick Oketch of Ebwali Boys expressed, “We were a bit lax in the final 20 minutes due to fatigue, but we are happy to make it through, and our goal is to get a slot for the nationals. I am inspired by Benson Omalla, and I hope that I can follow in his footsteps.”
In the first boys’ semifinal, Compel Sportif secured their final spot after overcoming Busia’s John Osogo with a 5-3 penalty shootout victory following a 3-3 draw in regular time. Compel Sportif’s Titus Gambo netted a hat trick, while Ibramovic Twalaha, Victor Mango, and Silvester Adundo contributed a goal each for John Osogo.
Hat trick hero Gambo of Compel Sportif shared, “It is really amazing to score a hat trick. Though the game was tough, we kept pressing, especially in the second half, to earn the draw, and we are thankful we emerged victorious in the shootout. We promised our fans to win this trophy, and we are going to deliver.”
In the Girls’ category, reigning champions Lugari Progressive from the region showcased their prowess by defeating Maroon Queens from Vihiga County 3-0.
Marion Musanga scored in the 44th minute, followed by Linda Achieng’s goal three minutes into the second half, and Mitchel Jepkogoi’s header 11 minutes before full time. Lugari Progressive, guided by former Kenyan international Fred Serenge, will now face Brenda Girls from Bungoma in the finals.
Brenda Girls secured their spot after a dominant 4-1 win against Chakol Mixed. They bounced back from a halftime deficit, with Esther Mukhwana netting a brace and Lavenda Nasambu and Joina Namukuru contributing goals.
Dickson Simiyu, Coach of Brenda Girls, expressed, “We started off badly in the first half, but we managed to bounce back in the second half. I am happy about the victory as we now shift our focus to the finals scheduled for Sunday. We thank Safaricom for such a well-organized tournament as it has truly helped us witness amazing talents here at the grassroots.”
The matches on Saturday were preceded by players and coaches clinics at Bukhungu, featuring training on various aspects of the football tournament, including the use of GPS wearable vests introduced by Safaricom to aid in player scouting and data collection.
The winners of each category will receive KES 250,000 and a slot to represent the region at the national finals in Nairobi early next year. Runners-up will receive KES 150,000 each. Awards for Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Goalkeeper, and Top Scorer will each amount to KES 30,000.
This year, Western Kenya saw a total of 441 participating teams, led by Kakamega with 162, followed by Bungoma (152), Busia (64), and Vihiga (63).
Safaricom Chapa Dimba, targeting youth aged 16 to 20, aims to create a structured platform for scouting new talent and building feeder systems for Kenyan football leagues while training 250 coaches.
