Chapa Dimba is back

By Peter Ochieng

Safaricom, in partnership with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has announced the return of Chapa Dimba na Safaricom youth football tournament.

The tournament's fourth edition was launched on Sunday at the Camp Toyoyo Stadium in Nairobi, after a three year absence occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking during the launch, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said that the company has committed over Sh400 million to support the tournament, this year.

It will run from June 2023 to January 2024, from the grassroots across the country to the national level.

“We are proud to announce the return of Safaricom Chapa Dimba after a three-year break due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Previous seasons of the tournament have been a huge success, and we intend to enrol even more participants this season. Football is a beautiful game that brings people together. Its popularity cuts across ethnic lines and social status and is a powerful tool for social change, inclusion and respect,” said Ndegwa.

He said the bigger picture is providing a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent, and build feeder systems for the Kenyan leagues across the country, while also training a total of 250 coaches.

“We are equally happy to announce that 32 young players from the tournament will be scouted to the national team and get an opportunity to visit Spain for a 10-day training boot camp. In this new season, courtesy of Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations, we shall also offer TVET educational scholarships to 150 players that will go to the best boy and girl player in every county, as well as members of the winning girls’ and boys’ teams at the national finals. We look forward to forging deeper connections with our customers and showcasing our commitment to transforming lives.”

This year, according to the CEO, the total prize money for the tournament has doubled to Sh20 million to reward the winning boys’ and girls’ teams in the county, regional and national finals.

The best football players, 2 boys and 2 girls will be scouted during each of the regional finals, to form an All-Star team and get an opportunity to visit Spain for a 10-day training boot camp, with two players (boy and girl) getting international placement in a youth team in Spain.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa said he is happy to welcome Chapa Dimba back.

“I want to laud Safaricom for supporting various sports developments in our country. Previous editions of Safaricom Chapa Dimba have helped us recruit new, talented players for our clubs and the national teams. We are happy to see the return of the tournament. I believe and hope that this season will be even more exciting and impactful,” he added.

Safaricom Chapa Dimba was first launched in 2017 to give young people between the ages of 16-20 years a platform to showcase their talent and get rewarded for their passion.

The tournament has produced many talented players such as Benson Omalla of Gor Mahia, David Magak of Tusker FC and Jentrix Shikangwa of Simba Queens in Tanzania among others.

In 2019, Omala aided Kisumu's Manyatta United to the boys title, before joining former FKF premier league side Western Stima, enroute to Gor Mahia.

The tournament will be open to both boys’ and girls’ teams. It will kick off with a national registration exercise from 1st May 2023 in Nairobi, Eastern, Western, Nyanza, Rift, Coast, Central, and North Eastern regions.

Registration forms will be available on the Safaricom website: www.chapadimba.safaricom.co.ke.

The group stages will be played at the grassroots level, with successful teams qualifying for the regional finals across the eight regions.

This year's tournament will kick off on 3rd June 2023 in Western Kenya, with the national finals to be held on 14th January 2024.