Youth teams in Nairobi are ramping up their preparations for the Nairobi edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba Season 5. The competition will kick off on 9th January 2027, with the regional finals slated for 13th and 14th February 2027 for both the boys’ and girls’ categories. So far, 4 regions have already completed their tournaments and have already begun their preparations for the national finals that will be played in March 2027.
The Nairobi region finals will be held at the Dandora stadium. Coaches and their youthful teams are now moving their preparations into high gear even as schools close and national festivities kick in.
The preliminary stages of Safaricom Chapa Dimba has already taken place across the country. The preliminary phase of the competition encompassed knockout matches at the ward level, sub-county level, county level and, finally, the regional level.
Since its official launch in 2017, Safaricom Chapa Dimba has grown from strength to strength and is now attracting thousands of teams across the country every year. The competition is now increasingly seen as the best platform and stage for professional growth for young footballers aged 15 to 18.
The fifth edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba drew a record 3,178 youth teams from across the country. has already drawn a record 3,178 teams nationwide. Its transparent and progressive structure is now being adopted by football academies and grassroots teams to expose aspiring footballers to a national and global audience while offering big rewards for top performers.
Safaricom CEO Dr Peter Ndegwa says the goal of the competition is to nurture all-rounded footballers who will not only be able to perform at the highest levels of the professional game but also fit into society and meaningfully contribute to societal progress.
“Chapa Dimba holds a special place in my heart as it continues to transform the lives of young people across the country. I welcome football fans to come out in large numbers, experience Chapa Dimba,” said Dr Ndegwa.
Required Age Bracket and Who Can Play
This year’s edition of Safaricom Chapa Dimba Season 5 lowered the eligibility age bracket from 16–20 to 15–18 years. Participating players must have been born on or after 1st January 2010 and on or before 31 December 2012. Dr Ndegwa says that the change in the participating age bracket is aimed at discovering talent earlier and ensuring young players have sufficient time to learn their craft and sharpen their style of growth as they progress in their professional journey.
The change is in line with a global shift in talent discovery and management. In many countries with advanced sporting industries, the talent discovery pipeline is lowered significantly to allow young children who are passionate about sports to live their experience. European countries, for example, have football academies for children from as young as 6 years old. This gives scouts and coaches time to discover talents and learn more about them during their earlier years.
How Team Registration Works
Registration for Season 5 of Chapa Dimba ran from 11 May to 11 June 2026. It was done via the Chapa Dimba official portal. Teams that cleared the vetting process progressed to the ward-level fixtures that began in late June.
Registration of teams for this year was absolutely free. The requirement was that every team registered adds a minimum of 18 players aged between 15 and 18. Also required was a valid National ID or valid Passport for players aged 18, or a School ID accompanied by a NEMIS number for under-18 players. Team officials were also required to be duly registered first before adding players. Player consent and data collection forms signed by a parent or guardian if the player is under 18 was also a mandatory requirement.
If you intent to register for future editions, you should take note of these requirements.
The registration window has since closed as the competition is already underway but interested teams can continue monitoring it for official updates and future opportunities.
Regions Already Completed and Teams Qualified for the Nationals
Four regions have finished their finals and booked places at the national stage. For the Western region, Vihiga Cranes (boys) beat Musokoto Secondary 1–0 in the regional finals while Lugari Progressive (Girls) defeated Chakol Girls on penalties to advance to the nationals.
In Nyanza, Awendo Football Academy (Migori) thrashed Indomitable Soldiers 4–0 while Plateau Queens (Kisumu) retained their title for a third consecutive season with a 4–0 win over Hedso Queens. Both teams await the draw for the nationals which will be done once the Nairobi region finals are done
For Central region, LYSA defended the boys’ crown with a narrow 1–0 win against MASFO while St. Joseph Starlets (Murang’a) ended Barcelona Rising Starlets’ stranglehold on the regional crown with a 5–1 victory. Both teams await to leasrn their opponents in the national finals.
The competitive Eastern region has MAFA Academy (Isiolo) that produced an emphatic 8–0 win over Mikinduri Rock-Star FC. For the girls’ category, MCF Starlets (Machakos) beat the hosts 3–1 to reach the national finals.
These eight teams (four boys’ teams and four girls’ teams) will be joined by the winners from Coast, Rift Valley, North Eastern and Nairobi that are yet to complete their regional finals.
How Many Teams Will Participate in the Nairobi Finals
Nairobi Regional finals feature the best teams that have progressed through ward, sub-county and county stage. These will be four or eight sides per gender category who will contest the regional crown at Dandora stadium.
Nairobi’s high population has a dense network of academies, school sides and community clubs in areas such as Mathare, Dandora, Kayole, Dagoretti and Eastlands makes it one of the most competitive regions in the country.
Where And When the Nairobi Finals Will Be Played
The Nairobi regional finals are scheduled for 27–28 February 2027 at Dandora Stadium. The venue has previously hosted the regional showpiece and offers a purpose-built setting close to several of the city’s strongest youth setups. County-level matches for Nairobi East and West are scheduled earlier in January and early February 2027.
Prize Money and Individual Awards
Regional champions (boys and girls) get KES 250,000 each, plus smartphones, airtime and a ticket to the national finals while regional runners-up get a cash prize of KES 150,000 each.
In the Individual awards category, the Best Goalkeeper, Top Scorer and MVP/Golden Ball in each get KES 30,000. The MVPs also receives a fully funded tertiary education scholarship under the Safaricom Citizens of the Future programme. The grand prize at the National level get a cash prize of KES 1 million each for the boys and girls categories.
What Happens After Chapa Dimba Season 5
The Nairobi regional champions will join the teams already qualified from Western, Nyanza, Central and Eastern (plus the remaining regions) at the national finals in March 2027. The grand finale will take place on 14 March.
Beyond the national title, standout players will be selected for the Season 5 All-Star team that will represent Kenya at the Gothia Cup in Sweden (scheduled for July 2027). This replaces the previous Spain training camps and places Kenyan youth in competitive matches against international sides, increasing visibility to scouts.
Throughout the tournament, players and coaches also attend clinics on GPS/AI tracking technology, financial literacy, mental health and data privacy. Wearable GPS vests and cameras generate digital player profiles that scouts can access and evaluate based on the profile of players they are looking for
