Giakairu FC and Karatina Homequinz have been crowned the boys’ and girls’ champions respectively at the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Season 5 Nyeri County Finals, earning tickets to represent the county at the upcoming Central Regional Finals.
The decisive matches were staged on Sunday at Kiarithaini Stadium and Karatina Stadium, bringing together some of Nyeri’s best young football talent in a weekend of competitive knockout football.
Giakairu FC secured the boys’ title after a tense goalless final against Chania Rovers Family. Neither side managed to break the deadlock during normal time, forcing the championship to be decided from the penalty spot, where Giakairu prevailed 4-1 to claim the county crown.
Their route to the final had seen Giakairu edge Fantasy Youth 1-0 in the semi-finals , while Chania Rovers Family booked their place in the championship match with a convincing 2-0 victory over Karundas Youth both matches played on Saturday .
Giakairu’s impressive campaign was further recognised through the individual awards, with Jason King’ori named the boys’ Most Valuable Player. His teammate Emanuel Mwangi took home the Golden Glove award for his outstanding goalkeeping performances.
In the girls’ Category, Karatina Homequinz produced the most emphatic result of the county finals, sweeping aside Thee Queens 5-0 in the final to secure the championship.
Karatina Homequinz had earlier demonstrated their attacking strength with a 4-0 semi-final victory over Spartans Starlets, while Thee Queens edged Ngareng’iro Strikers 4-3 on penalties after their semi-final ended goalless.
Damaris Akinyi was named the girls’ MVP following her influential performances throughout the competition, while goalkeeper Yusra Wanjiru earned the Golden Glove award as Karatina Homequinz completed a dominant campaign.
The county champions each walked away with Ksh.75,000, while the runners-up received Ksh. 30,000. The individual award winners were also rewarded, with the MVP, Golden Glove and Top Scorer categories carrying Ksh.10,000 each.
The victories now set up another challenge for Giakairu FC and Karatina Homequinz at the Central Regional Finals in Mwea. They will come up against champions from other counties as they battle for regional supremacy and progression in the fifth edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba.
Among the teams already confirmed for the Central regional showdown are Murang’a’s CDM Emmanuel in the boys’ category and St Joseph Starlets in the girls’ competition.
With the Nyeri county chapter now complete, Giakairu FC and Karatina Homequinz will be hoping to maintain their momentum when they step onto the regional stage, with the ultimate prize of advancing to the Safaricom Chapa Dimba National competition within reach.
