Plateau Queens, the footballing team for AIC Nyakach Girls’ High School, has won two of the three girls’ national finals of the Safaricom Chapa Dimba football tournament, living up to the school’s vision of “developing teamwork for excellence”.
Heading into the national finals, the Queens’ target was simple. “From the start, I told the players that they had to win the national trophy for a second time and write themselves and Nyakach Girls into the history books,” explained current Plateau Queens Head Coach Crispine Odindo.
Odindo was part of the technical bench when Plateau Queens emerged as winners of the inaugural Chapa Dimba edition, which was played in 2017/2018. The national finals were held at the Bukhungu stadium in Kakamega.
The Queens heeded their coach’s rallying call, turning on the class to thrash 3-time Central region champions Barcelona SC Ladies 4-0. They were crowned champions of the fourth edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba at the 2023/2024 girls’ national final played at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu.
“We were afraid of Barcelona Ladies before the game because they are a club who play in the FKF Women Division A league while we are a school team. Players in a club have a lot of time to train, while students must balance education and football,” said Odindo.
For their gallant efforts, Plateau Queens won KES 1 million, and each player secured a scholarship to a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course of their choice and a smartphone.
En route to bagging their second Chapa Dimba trophy at the national finals, Plateau Queens, who represented the Nyanza region, played three games, scored 11 goals, and conceded only once in 270 minutes of football.
The defence was marshalled by goalkeeper Mercy Akoth, who was named the national final’s best goalie just as she had been feted in the Safaricom Chapa Dimba regional finals. Her saves in the penalty shootout ensured her team defeated Victoria Sports Academy. For the two best goalie awards, Akoth pocketed KES 80,000.
Akoth hopes her exploits between the posts will enable her to fit into the golden gloves of former Nyakach Girls’ goalies Lillian Awour and Judith Osimbo, who have gone to play in teams locally and abroad and for the national women’s football team Harambee Starlets.
“I am inspired by Lillian Awour, who studied at Nyakach Girls’, played for Plateau Queens, and won Chapa Dimba season one, then she joined Vihiga Queens, and she now plays in Romania after a stint in France. What motivates me is my dream to be among the country’s best goalkeepers,” said Akoth.
The fourth edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba incorporated technology. Players wore GPS Sports vests, which captured their volume and intensity metrics in real-time. The vests, which look like sports bras, were worn under the jerseys and designed to hold pods between the shoulder blades. The pods use the same GPS technology used in smartwatches to communicate with satellites.
A full-body size banner showing the data generated for Plateau Queens’ captain Velma Awour holds pride of place at the door as you walk into the principal’s office at Nyakach Girls’. Diminutive Awour led from the front, getting crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the national and regional finals, earning herself a total of KES 80,000.
An end-to-end wall cabinet, the length of a boardroom table and floor-to-ceiling in height, stands on one side of the principal’s office, creaking under the weight of the trophies the school has won over the years in academics, sports, and the arts.
“As a school, we have a talent-based scholarship programme that is very competitive. We select talented students who have done well in KCPE but cannot afford to join Form 1. For sports, we hold trials, and once the coaches are convinced the player has talent, they get a full scholarship, which caters for their school fees and any other needs. The programme is run by the board of management and funded by well-wishers. This has proved to be the secret to our success, and it has also impacted so many lives,” said George Olouch Scott, Deputy Principal in charge of academics at Nyakach Girls.
As you enter the school, located an hour’s drive from Kisumu town, its pathways are decorated with affirmations that serve as a constant reminder to the students. Some of the signage reads, “We are learning to serve diligently,” “My decisions today will determine my destiny,” “Welcome to the university via Nyakach Girls,” and “Be a shining star, be an example.”
Emily Moranga, the school’s alumnus, attests to the transformational opportunities. “I schooled at Nyakach Girls’ for free. They have catered for everything and given me an opportunity to showcase my footballing talent,” she said.
The prolific striker, who is already scoring goals in the Kenya women’s premier league for perennial champions Vihiga Queens, scored three goals in three matches at the Chapa Dimba national finals for Plateau Queens and provided numerous assists in a formidable strike partnership with Swaum Masungo.
“When we won the Chapa Dimba regional finals in October last year, scouts from Vihiga Queens came to school seeking my signature and I signed up for the club together with Vivian Akinyi. I was 17 years old and just about to do KCSE. Once I completed my secondary school education, I joined them fully this year, having turned 18. My dream is to play well in Kenya and then play professionally abroad. My role model as a striker is Jentrix Shikangwa, who plays for Simba Queens in the Tanzania Women’s Premier League,” said Moranga.
Shikangwa is one of the success stories of Safaricom Chapa Dimba, having showcased her skills while playing for Shinyalu Academy during the first edition. She then signed up for Vihiga Queens, guiding them to successive FKF Women’s Premier League titles. Shikangwa then joined Simba Queens and has also enjoyed professional stints in China and Turkey.
“As we were playing in Chapa Dimba, we would talk about the players who have played in the past, gotten scouted and gone on to succeed in football and life. We are inspired by the likes of Shikangwa, and we hope to follow in her footsteps,” explained Masungo, a striker for Plateau Queens.
The Safaricom Chapa Dimba tournament is open to players aged 16 – 20. It aims to identify and nurture young football talents, both boys and girls, by providing a platform for them to showcase their skills and an opportunity to earn from their passion.
“Chapa Dimba is a fantastic platform that allows us to engage at a grassroots level. When you discover talent and get them to compete up to the finals at a national level, then you inspire local communities to believe that football is a viable career. If we do this for five to 10 years, it can really revolutionise Kenyan football. We are working with both the Football Kenya Federation and the Ministry of Sports to ensure we solidify the collaboration such that Chapa Dimba becomes one of the main feeders into the national teams and also the clubs,” said Peter Ndegwa on the sidelines of the national finals, moments after he had enjoyed the clash between Nyakach’s Plateau Queens and Nyahururu-based Barcelona Ladies.
With global media exposure and on-ground scouting, the tournament has, over the last four editions, provided a pathway for talented players to transition from school football into club football and also into the national team set-up from the junior to the senior national teams.
The impact of the grassroots football tournament held across the country was in full display during the 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) qualifiers with Safaricom Chapa Dimba alumni, Shikangwa, Mercy Airo, Caroline Rufa and Violet Nanjala, all in action for the national women’s football team, Harambee Starlets.
