Busia, Kenya – Football fans in Busia are advocating for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to conduct training and refresher courses for club officials and referees. This request aims to enhance the quality of football in the county, particularly during festive tournaments.
According to Kenya News Agency, the tournament manager who spoke at the Butula Polytechnic during Engineer Kwena’s tournament, there is a need for grassroots training for referees and coaches. He emphasized that this initiative would help in reducing errors and ensuring compliance with football rules and standards. Nyongesa pointed out that the lack of awareness of football rules among coaches and referees has led to numerous errors in festive tournaments, thus necessitating the proposed training by FKF.
The Eng. Kwena tournament featured 27 teams from Butula Sub-county, including 8 girls’ teams and 19 men’s teams. In a closely contested final, Bumala B FC emerged as the men’s champions, defeating Simuli Youths FC 1-0. The winning goal was scored by Bonface Odour in the 35th minute, showcasing Bumala B’s tactical discipline, particularly in their defensive line.
In the women’s category, Butula Starlet secured a 1-0 victory over Bumutiru Queens, continuing their unbeaten streak in the tournament.
Engineer Kwena, in his remarks, urged the County Government of Busia to focus on improving football infrastructure and make budgetary provisions for clubs participating in the county league and higher competitions. He highlighted the importance of modern sports facilities in exposing and nurturing local talent.
Acknowledging Busia’s rich football history, Engineer Kwena recognized the county as a cradle of football talent, having produced various legends and rising stars. He also referred to Busia County’s success in the Talanta Hela championship as evidence of the abundant talent in the area.
Furthermore, the Butula select team is scheduled to play against premier league club Kakamega Homeboiz and Division 2 team Mayenje Santos before January 8th, providing a platform for showcasing local talent at higher levels of competition.