Kitale Media Dominates Safaricom 5-Aside Rift Valley Showdown
Trans Nzoia teams bag top honours in Eldoret tournament
By James Gitaka
Kitale Media teams were the stars of the day as they dominated the Safaricom 5-Aside Rift Valley Regional Tournament, held at the Kip Keino Arena in Eldoret. In an all-Kitale final, Team A edged out Team B in a nail-biting 2-1 victory to clinch the title.
The closely contested match saw Mike Sikoyo and Zewede hit the net for Team A, while Marvin Khayemba scored the lone goal for Team B, keeping fans on their toes in a thrilling finale.
Team A walked away with the grand prize of KES 50,000, while Team B earned KES 30,000, plus goodies including power banks and shopping vouchers.
The road to the finals wasn’t easy. Team A squeezed past Eldoret’s Daily Sports with a 1-0 win in the semi-finals, while Team B triumphed over Hubz Media via penalties after a goalless draw.
“This wasn’t just a football tournament. It was a reunion, a networking event, and a celebration of the media fraternity. Many of us haven’t met in years. Safaricom gave us that moment to reconnect,” said Emmanuel Sabuni, captain of Daily Sports.
The event is part of Safaricom’s regional media engagement efforts and served as the curtain-raiser for the M-PESA Sokoni Caravan Tour, which kicks off tomorrow in Turbo. The caravan is a key feature in the M-PESA @18 anniversary celebrations, where customers stand to win cash prizes, vouchers, electronics, and more through the popular “**M-PESA or the Box**” game.
But the fun didn’t stop at football.
**Charity Papai**, a journalist and player from Hubz Media (Team A), dazzled during a dribbling challenge held after the finals, walking away with a shopping voucher from Safaricom. Hubz Team B also made an impressive run, reaching the semi-finals.
Safaricom is also rolling out a string of customer-focused activations beyond the tournament, including Safire Connect for entrepreneurs, Safaricom Hook targeting youth, the Ndoto Zetu Phase 7 campaign, and the prestigious M-PESA Agents Awards.
With excitement, fierce competition, and meaningful connections, the day proved that when media meets the pitch, magic happens.
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