The finals, held at Ulinzi Stadium in Nairobi, saw Kobala dominate Nairobi’s Dagoretti Mixed with a 4-1 win, while Highway triumphed 2-1 over Homa Bay’s Ringa Boys.
Kobala Girls from Homa Bay County and Highway Secondary School have emerged as the champions of the inaugural Europe Day Soccer Tournament, a youth soccer championship sponsored by the European Union Delegation to Kenya.
The finals, held at Ulinzi Stadium in Nairobi, saw Kobala dominate Nairobi’s Dagoretti Mixed with a 4-1 win, while Highway triumphed 2-1 over Homa Bay’s Ringa Boys.
As champions, both Kobala and Highway Secondary earned tickets to a specialized training camp in Romania, fully sponsored by the European Union and the Romanian Embassy in Kenya.
The runners-up in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions also gained opportunities for training camps with local powerhouses Gor Mahia FC and AFC Leopards, respectively. Additionally, top scorers Spenda Mboya from Kobala Girls and Mohammed Hassan from Highway each won a Brussels Airlines return ticket to Belgium.
The tournament featured 64 teams (32 boys and 32 girls) from four counties: Marsabit, Homa Bay, Kilifi, and Nairobi.
Speaking during the finals, the European Union Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Henriette Geiger, emphasized the role of sports in uniting people across cultures and borders. She said, “As we mark the upcoming Euro 2024 in Germany and the Paris Olympics in France, we leverage the power of sports as a bridge builder to unite our people.
We celebrate teamwork, diversity, participation, fairness, and cooperation—values that characterize not only football but also our EU-Kenya partnership. Investing in people, especially our youth, is essential for our future.”
Geiger also inspired the young athletes, stating, “Your passion, determination, and sportsmanship are deeply inspiring. The skills you develop through football participation and fair play will benefit your daily lives and careers. I hope some of you will play with top European teams in the future.”
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary of Defence, Hon. Aden Duale, thanked the European Union for their cooperation in Kenya and congratulated all the teams that reached the finals. “Youth engagement and empowerment is a key focus for Kenya’s development agenda. Initiatives aimed at nurturing the talents and creativity of our youth will always be a crucial part of Kenya-EU collaboration,” he said.
In the girls' category, Kachororni Girls from Kilifi County finished third, while Dakabaricha Girls from Marsabit took fourth place. In the boys' category, Gadamoji Boys from Marsabit secured third place, and Mkongani Boys finished fourth.
The Europe Day Football Tournament celebrated by the EU Delegation to Kenya, in partnership with the 27 member states, aligns with the upcoming major international sporting events: the UEFA European Football Championship (UEFA EURO 2024) in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France from July 26 to August 11, 2024.