Vihiga Cranes and Lugari Progressive were crowned the champions of the fifth edition of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Western Region that came to a close today at the Kanduyi stadium in Bungoma County.
Coming from Vihiga County, Vihiga Cranes claimed the regional title after beating Busia’s Musokoto Secondary School 1-0 in a tightly contested final with Tonny Omondi scoring in the 61st minute, heading in Luke Ramsey’s 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 Francis Muhambe, head coach of Vihiga Cranes.
In the girls’ final, Lugari Progressive, the Bishop Njenga High school, team clinched the women title after defeating Busia’s Chakol Girls 5-4 on penalties following 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 KES 250,000, 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 Fred Serenge, head coach of Lugari Progressive.
Both Vihiga Cranes and Lugari Progressive pocketed KES 250,000 each, alongside other prizes, including smartphones and airtime. The two champions will represent the Western Region at the national finals later next year.
The runners-up, Musokoto Secondary School and Chakol Girls, took home KES 150,000 each, together with smartphones and airtime, for finishing second in the regional finals.
The Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer awards in both the boys’ and girls’ categories came with a cash prize of KES 30,000 each. The Most Valuable Player (Golden Ball) also received KES 30,000, in addition to 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’s 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 Hanifa 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.
With the Western Region now done and dusted, Safaricom Chapa Dimba heads to the Central Region for the next round of regional finals, set for Saturday, 29 August, and Sunday, 30 August at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County.