Eldoret FC earned bragging rights amidst an electric atmosphere as they trampled PASC Langa 1-0 in the final match of the Tujiamini Cheza Dimba tournament held at Wareng High School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
The victors walked away with a 3-year sponsorship worth Kshs 250,000 annually from leading online gaming firm SportPesa after overcoming stiff competition in the championship decider.
Rooney Miret scored the match-winning goal as fans were awed by the impressive defensive skills displayed by Eldoret FC who blocked off any goal-scoring attempts by their opponents to clinch the morale-boosting sponsorship.
Eldoret FC had earlier in the semi-final pulled off an unexpected win over local counterparts, Eldoret Warriors FC, in an intriguing rivalry where they won 2-0 to stun the pre-match favourites.
Goals by James Manyala and Isaac Walele in the first and second half respectively spearheaded the surprise win.
In the other semifinal match against Kitale Phantoms, PASC Langa was saved by a late penalty kick that was converted by Cyrus Bosire in the 39th minute giving them a slot in the final.
Speaking after the win, Eldoret FC team captain, Ronald Miriti acknowledged the Tujiamini Initiative by SportPesa, noting that it presented a flourishing opportunity for young talent in the grassroots.
“Our target is to get to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and since most of us are from underprivileged backgrounds, the rewards accompanying the win is a motivation for us to perform even better moving forward as we continue to inspire those around us,” he said.
On the other hand, despite being down, PASC Langa made it clear that they were not out. “A loss of concentration in the final affected the outcome of the game considering how well we played earlier in the tournament. We got back on track in the second half but we missed a goal lowering our chances of winning the final,” said team captain Kevin Kang’ethe.
Three counties down, the Tujiamini initiative has intensified efforts towards impacting sports and related talents at the grassroots.
SportPesa Partnerships Manager Willis Ojwang lauded the quality of footballing talent in the North Rift region.
“We have seen a manifestation of really good potential and seeing as some of the players live off the sport, the initiative couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The Tujiamini initiative by SportPesa now shifts gears to the Western region as it nears the halfway mark with assurance of even more exciting sporting action and display of talent.
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