Laiser Hills from Kajiado and West Pokot’s Wiyeta Girls are Chapa Dimba Rift Valley Champions
By: Judith Mutua
Posted on Monday, March 9, 2020
Chapa Dimba na Safaricom Rift Valley champions Kapenguria Heroes from West Pokot failed to reclaim the title after they went 4-2 down through penalty shoot outs to Laiser Hill Academy from Kajiado during the regional final at Kericho Green Stadium on Sunday.
In the boy’s game, the two teams fought to a 1-1 draw in the normal time forcing the teams to go for the post-match penalties to break the deadlock.
Laiser Hill booked the final slot to the nationals after a tense post-match penalty that ended 4-2 in their favour. The two teams (Laiser Hill and Kapenguria Heroes) had played to a one all draw in regulation time with Laiser Hill levelling in the 78th minute courtesy of Sharrif Majebe’s equalizer.
Kapenguria Heroes looked set for a return to the finals as they led Laiser Hill 1-0 having started off the match with Samson Tanui scoring a goal in the 8th minute. But their party was cut short forcing the match to head into post-match shoot outs with Laiser Hill emerging the better side.
Laiser Hill put their post-match penalties through Sharriff Majabe, Byron Otieno, Timothy Ouma and Abdulrazak Hassan while Kapenguria Heroes scored through Morgan Ekamais and Stephen Orare.
In the girl’s competition, former East Africa Secondary School champions Wiyeta Girls from West Pokot clinched the ticket to the nationals.
While Itigo beat Achievers Queens 6-0 in the first semi-final, six-time East Africa School game champions Wiyeta Girls were in destructive mood, thrashing Bomet Queens 17-0 in a one-sided second semi-final.
Itigo started out the day’s action with Marion Wafula scoring four goals on her own in the massive win, and Claudia Kadege scoring the other two to hand them a comfortable win.
In the second semis, Wiyeta who were playing in the regional finals for the first time were in no mood for laxity, with Doreen Aujat and Shayline Opisa scoring five goals each, Musilivi Diana scoring a hat trick, while Harambee Starlets star Jecinta Karemana and Edina Wanda scored a brace each.
Both Wiyeta Girls and Laiser Hill won Ksh 200,000 and will now represent the Rift Valley region in the national finals set for June 2020 at Bomu Stadium, Mombasa. Itigo Girls and Kapenguria Heroes did not walk away empty handed as they both pocketed Ksh 100,000 with a host of prizes won by players who registered exemplary performances.
Wiyeta and Laiser Hill have now joined Nairobi’s Dagoretti Mixed High, Beijin Raiders from Starehe, Tumaini School from Makueni, Isiolo Starlets from Isiolo, North Eastern’s Berlin FC from Garissa, Coast Region’s Yanga FC from Malindi, Kwale Ladies, Falling Waters from Laikipia and Ulinzi Youth from Nanyuki have secured tickets to the national finals.
The competition now moves to Mumias for the Western Regional finals set for 21st and 22nd March 2020 at Mumias Sports Complex.
