The lakeside city of Kisumu will host the much-anticipated Safaricom Chapa Dimba Nyanza Regional Finals this weekend, with 12 teams from the region’s six counties set to battle for the regional crown in an action-packed showdown at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium.

The teams are Obunga FC and Plateau Queens from Kisumu; Awendo Football Academy and Oyugi Ogango Girls from Migori; Indomitable Soldiers and Nyamira Starlets-Bondo from Siaya; Kendu Muslim and Hedso Queens from Homa Bay; Sameta High School and Otendo Comprehensive Starlets from Kisii; and Nyaguku FC and Masosa Starlets from Nyamira.

The competition kicks off on Friday, 11 September, with the Inter-County Playoffs at Kisumu Polytechnic, Kisumu Boys High School and Railways Ground. The action will continue over the weekend at Mamboleo Stadium, where the regional champions will be crowned.

“This weekend is going to be one like no other as we kick off our Regional Finals in Kisumu. Chapa Dimba holds a special place in my heart as it continues to transform the lives of young people across the country. I welcome football fans to come out in large numbers, experience Chapa Dimba live at Mamboleo Stadium and enjoy the action. Best of all, entry is free,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO.

“Beyond football, we have exciting customer engagements lined up across the region, including Safire Connect, Decode Café and Pata More, as we continue creating memorable experiences and giving our customers more,” he added.

On Friday, Boys’ Pool A will see Siaya’s Indomitable Soldiers, Migori’s Awendo Football Academy and Kisii’s Sameta High School battle it out at Kisumu Polytechnic Grounds. Pool B will feature Nyaguku FC of Nyamira, Kendu Muslim of Homa Bay and defending national champions Obunga FC of Kisumu.

“As the defending regional and national champions, we are determined to retain our crown. We know we are facing the best of the best from this region, so we will take it one game at a time. We are well prepared, especially for the playoffs. With this format, any mistake could see you eliminated, so we will do everything possible to win. We are playing at home and cannot afford to let our fans down. The pressure is there, but we will manage it,” said Evans Oketch, Head Coach, Obunga FC.

In the girls’ category, Pool A comprises Nyamira Starlets-Bondo of Siaya, two-time national champions Plateau Queens of Kisumu and Otendo Comprehensive Starlets of Kisii. They will play at Kisumu Boys High School.

Pool B will see Oyugi Ogango Girls of Migori take on Masosa Starlets of Nyamira and Hedso Queens of Homa Bay at Railways Ground.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals on Saturday, with the winners proceeding to Sunday’s finals to battle for the regional crown.

Off the pitch, Safaricom will host coaches’ and players’ clinics on Saturday covering GPS vest technology, financial literacy, mental health and data privacy. The wearable GPS technology will also support the identification and scouting of emerging talent.

The regional champions in both categories will each receive KES 250,000 and a ticket to represent Nyanza at the National Finals, while the runners-up will each receive KES 150,000.

Individual awards will also be presented. The Best Goalkeeper and Top Scorer in both categories will each receive KES 30,000, while the Most Valuable Player (Golden Ball) will receive KES 30,000 and a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future Programme.

Nyanza recorded the second-highest number of team registrations this season after Rift Valley, with 559 teams signing up, 401 boys’ and 158 girls’ teams. Migori recorded the highest number of registrations with 136 teams, followed by Homa Bay with 105, Kisumu with 103, Siaya with 76, Kisii with 73 and Nyamira with 66.