KILIFI, Kenya, Dec 30 – Defending champions Blue Blue retained their title, as Kilifi Elite won the first ever women’s crown as the three-day Esse Akida Foundation tournament came to an end Sunday evening at the Mkoroshoni Grounds in Kilifi County.
Blue Blue retained their crown after a hard fought 2-1 victory over Mekoan, while Elite won the women’s title with a 4-2 post-match penalty result over a resilient Majajani Queens.
Meanwhile, Young Atomic clinched the men’s third place title after edging out home side Ubuntu by a solitary goal.
In the men’s final, Blue Blue were determined to retain the trophy and were on top of their bill right from the start of action. They got the lead early in the first half through Emmanuel Haro whose strike from the edge of the box beat the keeper’s arm reach.
Despite pressure from Mekoan, they managed to hold on to the lead till halftime.
The holders then doubled their tally early in the second half, when Emmanuel Podo’s well struck freekick from the edge of the box landed into the bottom left of the keeper.
It was a deserved lead for Blue, who had been offensive right from the start.
However, Mekoan piled pressure in the last quarter of the game, and they managed to pull one back through Samson Juma. The midfielder struck from the edge of the box after a freekick was defended right into his path.
Despite some late pressure, Blue Blue managed to guard their lead and the title.
Meanwhile in the girls’ final, Kilifi Elite were pushed to the edge by a youthful Majajani, and had to rely on their experience in penalties to win 4-3 after a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
Josephine Kitsao, Alvine Lhalenya, Florida Bokole and Salama Mariga scored for Elite.
Esther Pendo, Monika Muangana and Zeinab Kadzo scored for Majajani, while Asma Taura and Hawa Nazi saw their efforts sail just wide.
Taura, 12, the youngest player in the tournament, was awarded as the best upcoming player while Bokole won the women’s MVP award.
Mekoan’s Juma was named the men’s MVP.
Winners of the tournament walked home with Sh30,000 while the losing finalists won Sh20,000, and the third placed team Sh15,000 courtesy of the Esse Akida Foundation.
All five girls’ teams which participated in the tournament were gifted with sanitary towels and sports inner garments by Wecheza.
