Barcelona Rising Starlets and Laikipia Youth Soccer Academy (LYSA) successfully defended their county titles after winning their respective matches at the fifth edition of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Laikipia County Finals, held over the weekend at Nyahururu Stadium.
Barcelona Rising Starlets beat Nanyuki Starlets 1-0 to claim the girls’ county title for the fifth consecutive time. Meanwhile, Laikipia Youth Soccer Academy (LYSA) edged Ilpolei Giants 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time to retain the boys’ title.
“This is the fifth time we have lifted the county title. Although it wasn’t easy, we managed to pull through despite missing several chances. This is a new squad, and for most of the players, it is their first time competing in a serious tournament. After Chapa Dimba lowered the age limit, I had to quickly assemble a new team to carry on the legacy and success we have built in this tournament. We expect a tough competition in the regional finals, but we are ready for the challenge,” said Emman Wafula Gullit, Head Coach of Barcelona Rising Starlets.
Other teams that have qualified for the Central Regional Finals scheduled for this weekend include Thriving Queens (Kiambu), Kerugoya Sportiff (Kirinyaga), St. Joseph Starlets (Murang’a), and Karatina Home Queens (Nyeri) in the girls’ category. In the boys’ category, the qualifiers are LYSA (Laikipia), MASFO (Kiambu), Kiaga Secondary School (Kirinyaga), CDM Emmanuel FC (Murang’a), and Giakairu (Nyeri).
All county winners walked away with KES 75,000 and secured a place in the Regional Finals. The Regional Finals will take place on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County.
In addition to the team prizes, outstanding individual players, including Best Goalkeepers, MVPs, and Top Scorers, received KES 10,000 each. The MVPs were also awarded fully funded tertiary education scholarships under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future programme.
