MAFA Academy from Isiolo County celebrates after being crowned the Season Five Safaricom Chapa Dimba Eastern Region champions in the boys’ category at Moi Stadium in Embu County.
By Dickson Mwiti
MAFA Academy from Isiolo and MCF Starlets from Machakos have been crowned Safaricom Chapa Dimba Eastern Region champions after impressive victories in the boys’ and girls’ finals held at Moi Stadium, Embu.
MAFA Academy clinched their maiden regional title in emphatic fashion after thrashing Mikinduri Rock-Star FC 8-0 in a one-sided boys’ final.
Zakar Mohamed opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the seventh minute after Linus Mwirigi was adjudged to have brought down Hussein Edin inside the box.
Edin doubled MAFA’s lead in the 18th minute before Abduba Daud added a third two minutes before the break to give the Isiolo side a commanding 3-0 advantage at half-time.
MAFA continued their dominance after the restart, with Abdizak Ali making it 4-0 in the 56th minute before Mohamed scored his second in the 68th minute.
Wako Dabaso then struck twice in the 71st and 81st minutes before Mohamed completed his hat-trick in the 85th minute to seal an emphatic 8-0 victory.
Mikinduri came close to scoring a consolation goal in the 55th minute, but their effort struck the crossbar as MAFA comfortably controlled the match.
MAFA head coach Ibrahim Abdisalan said the victory was the culmination of two years of preparation, adding that the team would now shift focus to the national finals.
“This is a big milestone in our football journey as an academy. We have been preparing for this tournament for two years, and today we are very proud of what the boys have achieved,” said Abdisalan.
He added that the team’s focus would now be on representing the Eastern Region at the national finals.
In the girls’ final, MCF Starlets overcame hosts Manyatta Royal Queens Academy 3-1 to claim the regional crown and deny the Embu side the opportunity to celebrate on home soil.
MCF Starlets took the lead in the 17th minute and doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute.
Royal Queens responded three minutes later when Justa Mwende pulled one back in the 65th minute, raising hopes of a comeback.
However, MCF Starlets remained composed and sealed the victory in the 90th minute when Jacinta Nzuna found the net for the third time to secure the Machakos side the Eastern Region title.
MCF Starlets coach Abednego Matata said the victory was a dream come true for the team and expressed confidence ahead of the national finals.
“Nothing makes us happier than winning the Chapa Dimba regional trophy. It has been our dream, and we are proud to be the first team to take the Chapa Dimba regional trophy to Machakos,” said Matata.
He said the team would represent the entire Eastern Region at the national finals and was determined to bring home the Season Five national title.
Both regional champions pocketed KSh250,000 each and secured places in the national finals, while runners-up Mikinduri Rock-Star FC and Manyatta Royal Queens Academy received KSh150,000 each.
The individual awards saw MCF Starlets’ Redemptah Mutanu and MAFA Academy’s Abdullahi Muhammed named Best Goalkeepers, while Justa Mwende and Zakar Mohamed were awarded the girls’ and boys’ Top Scorer prizes respectively.
MCF Starlets’ Cecilia Wanjiku and MAFA Academy’s Hussein Edin were named the Most Valuable Players.
Each MVP received KSh30,000 and a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under Safaricom’s Citizens of the Future Programme.
The two Eastern Region champions join other regional winners already qualified for the national finals, including Awendo Football Academy and Plateau Queens from Nyanza, St. Joseph Starlets and LYSA from Central, and Vihiga Cranes and Lugari Progressive from Western.
The Eastern Region finals were preceded by an exhibition match between Safaricom staff and Embu-based journalists, with the Safaricom team winning 3-0.
The tournament now moves to the Nairobi Region as Safaricom Chapa Dimba continues its search for Kenya’s next generation of football talent.
The nationwide tournament targets young people aged between 14 and 17 years, providing them with an opportunity to showcase their skills and pursue opportunities both on and off the pitch.
