Lugari Progressive Academy players from Kakamega county celebrate after winning the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Western region final at Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, Bungoma county/HANDOUT Vihiga Cranes from Vihiga and Lugari Progressive (Archbishop Njenga Girls') from Kakamega are the new champions of the fifth edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba Western Region.
Vihiga Cranes claimed the boys’ title after beating Busia’s Musokoto Secondary 1-0 in a tightly contested final at Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, Bungoma county.
The winning goal came in the 61st minute when Tonny Omondi headed home from Luke Ramsey’s superbly delivered corner.
“First, I want to thank God for this victory and also Safaricom for putting together such an amazing tournament. We are delighted to win the Western Region title. Last season, I won the regional title with Ebwali Boys, and today winning with Vihiga Cranes is something I don’t take for granted. It was a tough and closely fought match and credit to Musokoto Secondary, who played very well. We, however, managed to capitalise on the opportunity that came our way. But the job is not done yet; our focus now shifts to the national finals, where we hope to go all the way,” said Vihiga Cranes head coach Francis Muhambe.
In the girls’ final, Lugari Progressive edged Busia’s Chakol Girls 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time.
“It wasn’t an easy game, but I want to congratulate my girls for working hard, staying focused and fighting until the end to win the trophy. After missing out on the national school games in Tanzania, I decided to shift my focus to Safaricom Chapa Dimba and I am delighted that it has paid off. The girls are really excited to be going home with Sh250,000, along with other prizes, including smartphones and airtime, which makes the victory even more special. This tournament means a lot to us, and that is why I never miss it. I sincerely want to thank Safaricom for organising such an amazing and high-standard tournament,” said Lugari Progressive head coach Fred Serenge.
Both Vihiga and Progressive pocketed Sh250,000 each, alongside smartphones and airtime. The two champions will represent the region at the national finals.
The runners-up, Musokoto Secondary School and Chakol Girls, received Sh150,000 each, together with smartphones and airtime.
The Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer awards in both the boys’ and girls’ categories came with a cash prize of Sh30,000 each. The Most Valuable Player (Golden Ball) also received Sh30,000 and a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme.
In the girls’ category, the Top Scorer award was shared by Hanisa Mashasha of Chakol Girls and Lugari Progressive players Lydia Laura, Zipporah Wanyonyi, Delphine Mutirira and Viola Chepkorir.
In the boys’ category, the Top Scorer award was shared by Mellon Omondi and Tonny Omondi of Vihiga Cranes, alongside Rom Okitwi, Frankline Pual and Calvin Masai of Musokoto Secondary.
The MVP awards went to Elvis Ogiro of Musokoto Secondary in the boys’ category and Mashasha of Chakol Girls in the girls’ category.
The Best Goalkeeper awards went to Nabo Ochieng of Musokoto Secondary and Shamsy Pachanga of Lugari Progressive.
Chapa Dimba now heads to the Central Region on August 29-30 at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga county.
