Junior Stars, Kakamega Homeboyz nominated for the SOYA awards

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FOOTBALL Junior Stars, Kakamega Homeboyz nominated for the SOYA awards

Festus Chuma 14:00 - 31.01.2024

Kenya National U-18 Boys team and 2023 FKF Cup champions Kakamega Homeboyz have been nominated for SOYA Awards Team of the Year

Kenya National U-18 Boys team Junior Stars has clinched a coveted nomination for the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Awards in the Team of the Year category.

Junior Stars finished as the runners-up in the CECAFA U-18 championship, following a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Uganda U-18 in the final hosted in Kisumu.

The road to the SOYA Awards is no walk in the park for Junior Stars, as they face stiff competition from some of Kenya's top-performing teams.

Among their contenders are the formidable Kenya Rugby Sevens team, famously known as Shujaa, the Roll Ball national team, who are making their maiden appearance in the top-five nominations, the dominant Kabras Sugar rugby team and Kakamega Homeboyz FC.

The grand SOYA Awards gala, a black-tie affair, is scheduled for February 23rd in Nairobi County.

In the CECAFA U-18 championship, Junior Stars stormed through their Group A matches by securing victories over Sudan (5-0), Rwanda (1-0), and Somalia (4-1).

Their semi-final clash against tournament favorites Tanzania was nothing short of a spectacle.

After a goalless draw in regular time, Junior Stars clinched victory with a nerve-wracking 4-3 win on post-match penalties.

Kabras Rugby was nominated after retaining the prestigious Kenya Cup by defeating perennial rivals KCB RFC with a score of 19-9.

Meanwhile, Kakamega Homeboyz closed out the year 2023 on a high note by clinching the Football Kenya Federation Cup, edging out Tusker FC with a 1-0 victory.

This victory not only earned them silverware but also the opportunity to represent Kenya at the CAF Confederation Cup.

Roll Ball, a relatively lesser-known sport, made history by being crowned world champions for the first time.

They achieved this feat with a sensational 7-4 victory over hosts India in a fiercely contested final in Pune, India.

Despite the challenges faced by Kenya 7s, including relegation from the World Rugby Sevens Series for the first time in nearly two decades, they defied the odds by upsetting favorites South Africa with a thrilling 17-12 victory.

The Shujaas' triumph secured their qualification for the highly anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sports Team Men Top Nominees

1. Kabras Sugar – Rugby

2. Junior Stars – Football

3. Kenya 7s – Rugby

4. Roll-Ball

5. Kakamega Homeboyz – Football

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