Mathare North United clinched the Nairobi Tujiamini Cheza Dimba Tournament after dispatching Planes FC 3-0 in a heated final held at the Dandora Stadium on Saturday.
The emphatic performance saw the team not only walking away with the trophy but also with a 3-year sponsorship worth Kes 250,000 annually from leading online gaming firm SportPesa.
The champions first encountered Zimmerman All Stars, against whom they established an early 2-0 lead courtesy of Ramadhan Otieno and George Ochieng.
They then went ahead to make a statement when they met the runner in the final group stage match, claiming another 2-0 win before a close 2-1 semi final encounter against Indomitable FC which ushered them into the final clash of the day.
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Michael Itiyeng was instrumental in spearheading Mathare North United’s win scoring five out of nine goals in a show of impressive footballing talent.
Speaking after the tournament, he expressed joy at the win and lauded his colleagues for the great teamwork that secured them the coveted title.
“Our positive mentality was the biggest factor in the win based on our initial preparation for the tournament. We were able to also maximize on our opponent’s shortcomings which gave us competitive advantage in each stage of the game.
SportPesa’s support at the grassroots level has been motivating, giving us an opportunity to showcase our talents. We will use this sponsorship to work hard in order to secure a place in the National Super League,” said Itiyeng.
Mathare North United win Nairobi Cheza Dimba tourney
Coach David Onyango echoed Itiyang’s sentiments, praising the team for its resilience.
“The boys displayed great team spirit hence the good results. This win and support by the Tujiamini initiative will go a long way in easing some of our resources challenges in addition to providing the much needed exposure to the players,” he said.
SportPesa Communication and Advertising Executive, Mercy Kabui, emphasized the company’s commitment to community investment through sports and talent.
“At SportPesa, we take pride in giving back to the community, for meaningful change and impact in the lives of young people. Our aim is to help create opportunities for excellence and growth in talent at the grassroots level, eventually boosting the talent pipeline for elite football in the country,” said Kabui.
Susanne Hallergard, Founder of DBA Africa, reinforced the importance of Tujiamini initiative’s long-term talent nurturing and development goals.
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“It’s been really exciting to uncover diverse talents across different sports in recent months. We’ve seen different skills and natural gifts on display and with more investment and support driven at the community level we are certain they will reach the stars,” she said.
Despite missing out on the title, Planes captain, Daniel Lusweti maintained the team’s steadfast commitment in pursuit of glory days.
“We were targeting a win but as we have seen the unexpected can happen. All the same we appreciate the outcomes, we have picked up our learnings and we’ll go back to the drawing board to come back with renewed vigour in our future matches,” said Lusweti.
Coach Matthias Ocholi lauded his players for the effort displayed against Mathare North United acknowledging the players’ promising potential.
“This is a young team and the players are improving. We shall work on our mistakes and the tables will definitely turn in our favour next time,” he said.
The Tujiamini initiative by SportPesa now heads to Nyanza region as it nears the culmination in three months.
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Tujiamini is an initiative that seeks to provide a platform, including up to 30M shillings in funding, for individual, team sports and various talent, in a year-long campaign that will go around the country in a move aimed at evoking the sense of pride in Kenya’s sports and talent ecosystem.
Applicants are urged to submit their applications through www.tujiamini.co.ke