Eldoret has always been identified with distance running, but there is a different sport that is fast taking shape in the ‘City of Champions.’Football is the new craze in town and the sport is quickly making the Uasin Gishu county capital the place to be for talented players.Just like PASC Langa who came too close to secure the 2024 Chapa Dimba title, but lost 4-2 to Obunga in a match that was decided on post-match penalties.Lethal, brutal and deadly… ladies and gentlemen, PASC Langa are not your ordinary #SafaricomChapaDimba team, they know what they came for. #ChezaKamaWewe @tv47ke @SafaricomPLC pic.twitter.com/f6VJ041zs5— Radio 47 (@Radio47KE) April 13, 2024 Now that the dust has settled on a nerve-wracking tournament, Mozzart Sport engaged the team’s coach Fredrick Owino who was over the moon for his charges’ performance. The team started their national campaign on a high with a 5-1 victory over Dandora Young Kings before humbling Ebwali 4-0 to proceed to the finals.At the final stage, they shared 1-1 spoils with Obunga, forcing the game into post-match penalties where their opponents emerged victorious.“We are happy although we lost in post-match penalties against the host Obunga. We conceded an easy goal due to laxity in the game’s early moments but my boys picked up the fight and gave a good one,” Owino stated.##NAJAVA_MECA_8038251##The tactician was also impressed with his charges’ resilience and zeal throughout the matches. For instance, during their match against Ebwali, they had to face the criticism of the doves of their opponents’ fans, but they still emerged victorious.“We thrive in three Ps; passion, purpose, and perseverance. We had to be very strong to overcome stage fright because of the hundreds of Ebwali fans. I had to prepare my boys well and they adopted fast and so well and won,” he disclosed.Owino who also coaches Western Zone B Division II side, Langas Superstars FC, explained that the team’s performance was a testament to the growth of football in the athletics-rich Eldoret town. The team was crowned the Rift Valley champions before reaching the national stage.Obunga FC and Plateau Queens crowned the Safaricom Chapa Dimba season four Champions“That performance means a lot to us as a team; it shows progression and growth from one stage to another. It also shows that Eldoret is also a hub of football. Over 3600 teams participated in this given championship, emerging as runners-up nationwide is not a small achievement. We thank God for that spectacular performance,” he happily said.With the triumph now behind them, the side will go back to the drawing board and right their wrongs as they gear up for the second edition of the Talanta Hela U19 football tournament.Most of his charges train with Langas Superstars and he was optimistic that the lessons picked would help them earn promotion to the Division 1.Kenyan school teams to feature in ISF Football World Cup“We picked many lessons during the tournament. We are going to work on the weak points and fine-tune our strengths. We are going to strive to be much better than what we were during the finals. Excellence is the outcome of the hard work that my boys have shown. Our team works and moves as a unit from playing unit to technical bench and management,” he averred.As he concluded, Owino expressed gratitude to the team’s support system for their unwavering commitment, promising them greater exploits.“On behalf of the team I thank the almighty God for this far, the players, and fans who traveled to Kisumu to support us, Safaricom for the opportunity, our MCA Francis Muya and Hon Oscar Sudi for always supporting us,” he concluded.
