Ebwali Boys' from Vihiga county and John Osogo from Busia at the fourth edition of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba regional tournament at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega/ HANDOUT The road to another Western regional crown begins this weekend as the fifth edition of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament enters the high-stakes county final stage, featuring defending champions and ambitious challengers.
Busia, Bungoma and Vihiga will host the opening leg of the competition, with teams fighting for county honours and a coveted place in the Western Regional finals set for the Mumias Sports Complex later this month.
In Vihiga, defending county and regional champions Ebwali Boys’ headline the weekend action as they kick off their title defence against Box Fourteen Hotstars in Saturday’s semi-final at Chavakali Boys’ High School. Ebwali know the challenge will be even tougher this time as rivals look to end their dominance and claim the Western ticket.
Bungoma’s Brenda Girls’ face a similar task as they seek to retain both their county and regional crowns. They are set to take on Makuselwe Queens and St Augustine Girls’ Lukhuna in the Pool A play-offs at Bungoma High School.
Over in Busia, Chakol Girls’ will also begin their county title defence at Malaba Primary School, where they line up against Lwanya Girls’ and Nambale Hotstarlets in the Pool A play-offs.
The Western region has recorded impressive turnout, with 521 teams competing across Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga and Kakamega—underlining the immense depth of the area’s grassroots talent pool.
For many of the teenagers taking part, the tournament offers far more than just a shot at silverware.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed noted that the expanded competition is strategically designed to scout players capable of progressing to elite levels, with talent selectors using Safaricom’s GPS vest technology to track and gather performance data.
“As the competition progresses through the county, regional, and national stages, our goal this season is to identify as much talent as possible for both the local and international stage,” Mohammed said.
The standout performers will earn a place in the Chapa Dimba All-Stars team to represent Kenya at the prestigious Gothia Cup in Sweden, opening up a direct pathway into top academies and professional football.
Financially, county champions will take home Sh75,000, while the runners-up will pocket Sh30,000. Additionally, the Golden Ball winner will receive Sh10,000 alongside a fully funded tertiary education scholarship through the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme.
Following this weekend’s fixtures, the county finals will move to Kakamega on August 8–9, where Lugari Progressive will be among the sides aiming for another deep run after securing the Kakamega South Sub-county title.
