The Chapa Dimba na Safaricom football tournament will this weekend head to Mombasa county for the Coast region finals which will be held under floodlights at Bomu Stadium, Changamwe in the evening. This is due to high temperatures during the day.
Michael Karanja, Chapa Dimba na Safaricom Coast Region Coordinator, had this to say, “Players’ welfare is a key component of Chapa Dimba na Safaricom tournament. The high temperatures in Mombasa during the day could greatly affect their performance and that’s why we felt the need to have the games played in the evening. We appreciate Safaricom for taking this into account and catering for the extra expenses. The teams are ready and we expect very competitive and entertaining football over the weekend.”
Mombasa teams in the finals include Shimanzi Youth and Kaloleni United who will fight it out in the first boys semifinal, while Kilifi’s Matsangaoni boys will take on Maweni United from Malindi in the second semi. In the girls’ category, Changamwe Ladies from Mombasa will face Kwale Starlets as Matsangaoni Ladies from Kilifi play Malindi’s Solwogidi.
The teams which will emerge as winners over the weekend will receive a cash reward of KES 200,000 each and an opportunity to represent Coast in the national finals set for Meru in June. The runners-up will also pocket KES 100,000 each and there will also be other individual prizes for the best players.
So far, Kajiado’s Al Ahly and Kitale Queens from Rift Valley, Bishop Njenga Girls and Lugari Blue Saints from Western, Manyatta Boys and Ndhiwa Queens from Nyanza as well as Super Solico and St Mary’s Ndovea from Eastern have booked their tickets for the national finals.