The draw for the national Chapa Dimba na Safaricom football tournament has been conducted ahead of the finals slated 11th-14th April in Kisumu.
Sixteen teams, comprising eight boys’ and eight girls’ teams, will battle for the national title during the four-day championship that will be played at Mamboleo and Moi Stadium.
“The Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament stands out as one of the most prestigious events in our nation’s sports calendar. The fourth edition has been exceptional, boasting a remarkable participation of over 3,300 teams from grassroots levels. We have had the privilege of witnessing incredible talents, with some already making their mark in our National U-20 and Premier League teams. We are set for the national finals next week in Kisumu, where sixteen teams will battle for the national title,” said Chris Amimo, Chapa Dimba tournament director.
The games will start from the quarter-finals stage which will be played in two different pitches – Mamboleo Stadium and Moi Stadium. In the boys’ category, the hosts, Obunga FC, will take on Lysa FC from the Central region. Bandari Youth from Coast region will face Wajir All-stars from North Eastern region. PASC Langa from Rift Valley will play against Dandora’s Young Kings from Nairobi, while Ebwali FC from the Western region will take on Chuka University Scorpions from the Eastern region.
In the girls’ category, the hosts and season 1 champions, Plateau Queens alias Nyakach Girls, will play against Changamwe Ladies from Coast region. Brenda Girls from Western region will take on Syomunyu Secondary. Dagoretti Mixed from Nairobi will face off against Wiyeta Girls of Rift Valley as Barcelona Ladies SC from the Central region meet Wajir Queens from North Eastern.
After the quarterfinals, all action move to Mamboleo Stadium for thrilling semifinals which will be played on Friday and Saturday. Finals will then follow on Sunday, still at Mamboleo Stadium.
“As we prepare for the national finals, let us celebrate not just the impending victories but also the spirit of unity, hard work, and community upliftment that Safaricom Chapa Dimba represents. Our investment in this tournament, over KES 400 million this season, is an investment in the future of Kenya—a future where every young person can dare to dream and achieve those dreams,” said Lucille Aveva, Director, Customer Obsession at Safaricom.
“Chapa Dimba is more than a football tournament to us. It is a platform where we also deeply engage with communities through health and socio-economic empowerment initiatives. This season alone, we have conducted 8 Digital Financial Literacy training, empowering over 4,000 vendors and setting them up for their journey towards financial independence. Additionally, over 20,000 individuals have benefited from our medical camps across the eight regions,” added Aveva.
The national finals follow a successful grassroot games (ward level, county finals, intercounty play-off, and regional finals) conducted across the eight regions of the country: Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Eastern, Coast, North Eastern, Nairobi, and Central regions, where 3,353 teams and over 60,300 players were featured in the tournament.
The winning teams in the national finals will walk away with KES 1 million in cash, with the runners-up and second runners-up taking home KES 500,000 and KES 250,000, respectively (both boys’ and girls’ team). In addition to the prize money, each player, both winners, runners-up and second runners-up, will also get Neon Smartphones, the first locally assembled 4G smartphone in Kenya.
The outstanding players, including the Best Goalkeeper, Top Scorer, and Most Valuable Player (boys and girls), will each receive KES. 50,000.
In addition, this year’s tournament has also offered 150 TVET scholarships to Most Valuable Players (MVPs), empowering them with education and skills for life beyond football.
Boys Draw
Quarter Final 1: Obunga FC (Nyanza) vs. Lysa FC (Central) – (Moi stadium)
Quarter Final 2: Bandari Youth (Coast) vs. Wajir All stars (N. Eastern) -(Mamboleo stadium)
Quarter Final 3: PASC Langa (Rift Valley) vs. Young Kings (Nairobi) -(Mamboleo Stadium)
Quarter Final 4: Ebwali FC (Western) vs. Chuka Uni Scorpions (Eastern) (Moi Stadium)
Semi-Finals
Semi Final 1 – Quarter Final 1 Winner Vs. Quarter Final 2 Winner
Semi Final 2 – Quarter Final 3 Winner Vs. Quarter Final 4 Winner
Finals
Semifinal 1 winner Vs. Semifinal 2 winner
Girls Draw
Quarter Final 1: Syomunyu Secondary (Eastern) vs. Brenda Girls (Western) (Moi Stadium)
Quarter Final 2: Dagoretti Mixed (Nairobi) vs. Wiyeta Girls (Rift Valley) (Mamboleo stadium)
Quarter Final 3: Changamwe Ladies (Coast) vs. Plateau Queens (Nyanza) (Moi Stadium)
Quarter Final 4: Barcelona Ladies SC (Central) vs. Wajir Queens (Eastern) (Mamboleo stadium)
Semi-Finals
Semi Final 1 – Quarter Final 1 Winner Vs. Quarter Final 2 Winner
Semi Final 2 – Quarter Final 3 Winner Vs. Quarter Final 4 Winner
Finals
Semifinal 1 winner Vs. Semifinal 2 winner
