In a thrilling showdown at ASK Showground Nakuru, PASC Langa from Uasin Gishu County and Wiyeta Girls from Trans Nzoia County emerged victorious as the 2023 Safaricom Chapa Dimba Rift Valley champions.
PASC Langa secured their title with a stunning 2-1 victory over the defending regional champions, Laiser Hill Academy from Kajiado County. Samson Maina opened the scoring in the 58th minute, followed by Benson Otieno’s impressive free-kick conversion in the 67th minute.
Despite a late consolation goal by Joseph Oduor for Laiser Hill in the 89th minute, PASC Langa emerged triumphant. PASC Langa’s head coach, Fredrick Owino, expressed his joy, highlighting the team’s journey from their previous participation in 2017.
He emphasized the significance of defeating the defending champions and earning the opportunity to represent the Rift Valley region at the national level.
In the girls’ category, Wiyeta Girls secured their second consecutive regional title with a 1-0 victory over Trinity Mission Girls from Nakuru County. Margy Melitus scored the lone goal with a skilful header in the 69th minute, sealing Wiyeta Girls’ triumph in the final.
Both PASC Langa and Wiyeta Girls reached the finals after intense semi-final matches. PASC Langa edged Ndura FC from Trans Nzoia County 6-5 on penalties, while Wiyeta Girls secured a 2-0 victory over Ol Melil FC from Narok County
As regional champions, PASC Langa and Wiyeta Girls each received KES. 250,000 and will represent the Rift Valley region in the national finals scheduled for early next year. The runners-up, Laiser Hill and Trinity Mission were awarded KES. 150,000.
Individual awards included KES. 30,000 for the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Goalkeeper, and Top Scorer in both boys’ and girls’ categories. Additionally, each player from the winning team received a Neon Ultra phone, while runners-up players received a Neon Smarter Phone.
The Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to discover new talent, build feeder systems for Kenyan football leagues, and train 250 coaches. The tournament focuses on footballers aged between 16 and 20 years old.
With the Rift Valley Region concluded, the Safaricom Chapa Dimba now moves to the Eastern Region for the next exciting phase of the tournament.
