Wajir All Stars from Wajir County have been crowned the new champions of the Chapa Dimba North Eastern Region after silencing the host Lyon 04 FC from Garissa 2-0 in the finals played at Garissa University in Garissa County.
Mohamud Adan broke the deadlock in the 35th minute to put Wajir All Stars in the lead. Lyon 04 FC’s attempt to level the score in the 56th minute failed after Yahye Abdikadir missed a penalty. Mursal Abdinasir later doubled the score for Wajir All Stars at the 70th minute, making it 2-0.
“Despite my players being fatigued, they remained composed and capitalized on the rare chances we got to secure the victory. After today’s game, we now embark on training and preparation for the national finals, which are just around the corner,” said Ahmed Kul, head coach Wajir All Stars.
Wajir All Stars had advanced to the finals after edging out Marina FC from Mandera 3-1 on post-match penalties after a baren draw in the semi- final.
In the Girls’ category, Wajir Queens under the tutelage of Ahmed Mohamed Abdullahi were given a walk over after their opponents in the final Wajir Starlet failed to honor the final fixture.
They were hence awarded a 2-0 win.Wajir County was the only county that had girls’ teams in the North Eastern region.
Both Wajir All Star and their counterparts Wajir Queens each pocketed KES. 250,000, and will represent the North Eastern region in the National finals slated for April at Kisumu’s Mamboleo Stadium. The runners-up: Lyon 04 FC also took home KES. 150,000 each. The Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Goalkeeper, and Top Scorer were also rewarded KES. 30,000 each.
The victors join win winners from other regions in the country in the finals.
They join Ebwali FC and Brenda Girls from Western, Obunga FC and Plateau Queens, also known as Nyakach Girls from Kisumu,PASC Langa and Wiyeta Girls from Rift Valley, Chuka Uni Scorpions and Syomunyu Sec from Eastern Region and Bandari Youth and Changamwe Ladies from Coast Region who have already qualified for the national finals set for April in Kisumu County.
This year, Safaricom Chapa Dimba North Eastern region’s showdown featured a total of 286 teams from the six counties of the region including: Mandera (115), Garissa (60) and Wajir (111).
The tournament aims to provide a platform for scouts and coaches to tap new talent.
Also running Alongside the tournament that targets players aged 16-20 years was the training of 250 football coaches .
The tournament moves to Nairobi for the regional finals where eight teams are set to fight for two slots available in the national finals.
