The Menace Boys bounces back two goals down to win Chapa Dimba Kakamega County Finals

13 August 2023

They will face it out with John Osogo from Busia, Compel Sportiff from Bungoma and Ebwali Boys from Vihiga in the Western regional finals.

Nairobi, Kenya – 13^th Aug 2023… In an exciting Safaricom Chapa Dimba Kakamega County final held on Saturday at Kakamega High School Grounds, The Menace FC staged a remarkable comeback from being two goals down to secure a victory against Lugusi Boys.

During the first half, Lugusi Boys asserted their dominance, surging ahead with a two-goal lead, courtesy of a splendid strike by Donald Omarai in the 30th minute and a clinical finish from Rover Shikuku in the 35^th min.

The performance displayed by Mance FC in the second half was nothing short of exceptional. They had an impressive comeback, orchestrated by a brace from the super-talented striker Sharrif Muramba, in the 57th and 74th minutes to force the match into a 2-2 draw in the regular time.

The Menace went ahead to edge out Lugusi Boys, 5-4 on penalties. The Menace goalkeeper, Ignatius Onyango, saved 1 penalty to earn them the sweet victory. They head to the western regional finals scheduled for the 26^th -27^th at Bukhungu Stadium.

Speaking after winning, the excited Coach Dismas Wanjawa of The Manace praised his team for keeping hope alive and fighting hard to bounce back to win the county title.

“My boys have surprised everyone today. We went for the halftime two goals down but I am glad they did not lose hope instead, they kept the spirit high and battled it out squarely in the second half to emerge victorious through penalties,” said Dismas Wanjawa, Coach of The Menace FC.

Lugusi’s fans, who had turned out in large numbers, believe the boys displayed a good game against their competitors, who capitalized on all their chances in the second half to enable them to claim the victory through penalties.

Meanwhile, In the Girls’ category between, the reigning champions Lugari Progressive beat Kakamega Starlets 4-0 in the first half of the game. Linda Achieng opened the scoresheet in the 1^st minute of the game before Marion Musanga doubled the score in the 9^th minute. Elizabeth Mideva, scored twice in the 25^th and 29^th minute to silence the unsettled Kakamega Starlets.

“We are the reigning Champions of this region and hope to retain the title. The game was really good, we had good teamwork that helped us to win. We thank our coach Mr. Fred for his tactical coaching skills and support and our fans for coming out in large numbers, and we ask them to also come in large numbers in the regional finals games,” Said Marion Musanga, Player at Lugari Progressive

Each of the winning teams took home KES 75,000 cash Prize, with the runners-up Lugusi Boys and Kakamega Starlets pocketing KES 30,000 each. The top scorers and Best Goalkeepers each took home KES. 10,000 with the Most Valuable Players (Golden Ball) from both the boys’ and girls’ teams, each receiving a similar amount and the TVET scholarships courtesy of the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations.

The Manace will battle it out with John Osogo from Busia, Compel Sportiff from Bungoma and Ebwali Boys from Vihiga in the boys category. Lugari Progressive now prepares to face Chakol Queens, Brenda Girls and Madira Soccer Assassins in the girls’ category in the coming regional finals.

This year, Western Kenya registered a total of 441 teams participating in the tournament with Kakamega leading at 162, followed by Bungoma (152), Busia (64), and Vihiga (63).

Safaricom Chapa Dimba aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent and build feeder systems for the Kenyan football leagues across the country while also training a total of 250 coaches. The football tournament targets young people aged between 16 and 20 years old.