20 Teams Enter COPA Coca-Cola Provincial Finals

The 7^th week of the COPA Coca-Cola U15 youth football tournament saw a total of 20 teams book slots in their respective provincial finals that will be held in July across the country.

Makadara Juniors from Nairobi East, Migori Youth from Nyanza West and VYSA Youth from Aberdares branch were a class above their opponents as they sailed through to the provincials by winning all their five matches, and in the case of Migori Youth, not conceding any goal in all their group matches.

Makadara Juniors and Indomitable Dandora will represent Nairobi East in the Nairobi Provincial finals after finishing first and second in the log respectively. Makadara collected the maximum 15 points, scoring 11 goals in the process and conceding only one while Indomitable won their last two matches to fend off the challenge of Makamu United who finished 3^rd, 3 points adrift of the Dandora outfit.

Otto Benecker and St Ann’s Girls bagged the girls’ slots, the former finishing top, one point ahead of St. Ann’s.

Migori and Mbita Juniors from Nyanza West will join Kisumu United and Kisumu Lakers from Nyanza North branch in the Nyanza provincial finals. Both Kisumu United and their Lakers counterparts went unbeaten in the group stages to finish on 13 and 11 points respectively.

In the ladies’ category, Kisumu Queens and Girls Talent from Nyanza North will take on Suba Lakers and Rakwaro FC from Nyanza West in the provincial finals.

In Aberdares branch, VYSA Youth scored 17 goals and let in only three as they topped the branch’s standings on 15 points, 3 points above Ruiru Neptunes who took the runners-up slot. Angaza All Stars won all their matches to lead the ladies’ standings and will be joined by Maragwa Queens.

Heartbeat Boys won their last two matches to leapfrog Nanyuki United to the top of the log but both teams qualified from the Mt. Kenya Branch. Young Vision and Young Heroines bagged the girls’ slots.

The COPA provincial finals will be played in a round-robin format. Teams that top their standings will represent their respective provinces in the national finals which will be held in Nairobi. Winners of the national finals will not only be entitled to a cash price of Ksh. 500,000 but will represent Kenya at the international boot camp in South Africa a month later.

Since COPA Coca-Cola is being held in partnership with the country’s football governing body, Football Kenya Federation (FKF), the winning team will also officially form the Kenya U17 national team that will represent the country in international assignments that fall within that age bracket. 

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