•The winner of the three-day tournament will take home Sh 400,000 while the first run-up will get Sh 300,000.
•Owalo, who graced the match on Wednesday, said the tournament targets to help nurture and develop young talent in the region.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Kisumu Combined FC qualified for the finals of the Eliud Owalo Super Cup tournament after thrashing Siaya Combined 3-0 in a thrilling match at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu on Wednesday.
Eugene Ochieng put Kisumu Combined ahead on the stroke of the first half after a fine play that saw Otieno float a perfect pass for the advancing Ochieng in the 44th minute.
In the second half, Christopher Raila netted the second goal at about 66th minutes before the substitute Eneju Abubakar scored the third goal in the 75th minute in the entertaining match.
Siaya will on Thursday face Migori Combined for the third/ fourth place play-off as Owalo Super Cup on Thursday at noon at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu.
The playoff will precede the final match between Kisumu and Homa Bay f at 3 pm at the same venue.
Kisumu Combined, who drew most of the players from Muhoroni Youth, and Kisumu All Stars dominated the game.
Image: HANDOUT
The win now sets up a tantalising final between Kisumu and Homabay which will be a repeat of Talanta Hela Under -19 national football tournament final, where Homabay emerged victorious at Nyayo Stadium on December 12.
The winner of the three-day tournament will take home Sh400,000 while the first run-up will get Sh300,000.
The third and fourth-placed teams will walk away with Sh200,000 and Sh 100,000 respectively. “The best players and scorers will also be awarded,” Owalo said.
The best players selected in each position from the Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori will form Nyanza United and will get a chance to test their mettle against Gor Mahia in a friendly match at Nyilima grounds in Rarieda a Siaya county on Saturday.
The tournament is sponsored by ICT& Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo through the Eliud Owalo Foundation. The teams are drawn from the Luo Nyanza counties namely Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu and Siaya.
Owalo, who graced the match on Wednesday, said the tournament targets to help nurture and develop young talent in the region.
He was accompanied by Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda, former Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma, former Muhoroni MP Ayiecho Olweny, and former Kisumu Assembly Majority leader Samuel Ong’ow among other leaders.
The CS said the tournament focuses on developing and nurturing the talent in the Nyanza region.
“We are committed to nurturing talent from the lowest level with community teams to expose the best players to the Premier League clubs. We want to make our talented youths earn from playing soccer,” Owalo said.
He added that youth featuring in the tournament will have a chance to join major football teams that play Kenya Premier League.
Owalo said they have partnered with officials of the major teams in the country to scout talented players from the tournament to join their respective clubs.
He said the initiative aims to revamp football standards among youth in line with the Kenya Kwanza Government agenda.
The tournament is a response to the declining soccer standards in the region and the growing vulnerability of young individuals to issues such as drug abuse, alcoholism, crime, and immorality.
The tournament, Owalo said, provides a vital avenue for youth engagement, character building, income generation, and the creation of new opportunities.
Prof Ojienda said sports are important and need to be supported. He said he is supporting a football tournament for the Under-18 in Kisumu County whose finals will be played on December 29.
He announced that the players who are taking part in the tournament will be given bursaries and scholarships. "We have the social responsibility to grow the teams. Let's nurture and support our talented youth," he said
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The senator said leaders must support the government towards transforming the livelihoods of Kenyans.
He called for the establishment of sports academies in the county. “We should have a youth academy that grows talent amongst our youths in the region,” Prof Ojienda said.
Owalo’s Foundation has collaborated closely with football stakeholders in the region and partners with the Winam Youth Soccer Group, a grassroots organization boasting experienced individuals, including legends like James Goro Oronge, Tobias Ochola ‘Juakali,’ Peter Dawo, and Gerald Omollo ‘Chonjo.’
Gor Mahia's operations manager, Jolawi Obondo, said the tournament is a good opportunity for Nyanza youths and football teams to build each other.
"The youth of this region also have the opportunity to showcase their talent in football," he noted.
He said the tournament provides a good opportunity for talent development among the youth. "At Gor Mahia FC, we are keen to get players from such tournaments,” Obondo said.
The Eliud Owalo Foundation has a long history of supporting sports teams and contributing to the development of football in Kenya.
Notable contributions include the recent acquisition of a state-of-the-art bus for Gor Mahia FC, alongside sustained support for teams like AFC Leopards, Migori Youth FC, Shabana FC, and Muhoroni Youth FC.