This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
On December 17, 2019, Kenya's contingent to the East African Chipkizi Cup 2019, held in Arusha, Tanzania, returned home with several awards to their name.
The annual youth tournament, featuring playoffs for Under 16, 13, 11, 9, and 7 years, was organized by Future Stars Academy and attracted more than 120 teams from 7 countries across the region.
Staged at the Tanganyika Game Trackers (TGT) Grounds in Arusha, the tournament celebrated its 10th anniversary, with Tanzania's Azam FC Under 16 team picking the main under 16 title after beating Future Stars Academy 3-1 in a thrilling finals game.
However, the Kenyan junior teams performed well in the Under 13, Under 11, and Under 9 playoffs, winning the respective titles.
Kenya's Soka Talent Academy took the Under 13 title, while compatriots Angaza Academy picked the Under 11 and 7 titles. Nairobi-based Express Soccer Club won the main cup Under 9 title, and the Nairobi Valley Arcade-based Juve Soccer Academy won the Under 9 plate title.
Speaking on arrival from Arusha, Juve Academy Director and Head Coach Eric Ouma said the tournament had exposed the Kenyan contingent to world-class competitive soccer action.
"The East African Chipkizi Cup tournament continues to provide an exceptional regional talent nurturing platform for our Junior teams. The exposure in Arusha with playoffs between Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda among other countries was invaluable and served to build our teams' confidence," Ouma said.
