Roma Crush Tanzania’s Future Stars as Ligi Ndogo East Africa Cup Bursts Into Life
Aston Roma Soccer Academy made a stunning start to their Ligi Ndogo East Africa Cup campaign, scoring 11 goals in their opening two U9 Group A matches as the 19th edition of the tournament got underway at the Ligi Ndogo Grounds and Impala Club in Nairobi.
Aston Roma emphatically opened their campaign, thrashing Tanzania’s Future Stars 9-0. Jalen Kitonga was the star of the show, scoring four goals, while Silverson Kiute, Happytone Lomedi and Arshavin Ashilaka also found the net. An early own goal in the second minute added to Future Stars’ misery.
They followed that performance with another convincing display, overwhelming JABSHE United Academy 6-1 to underline their credentials in the U9 competition.
The tournament has already produced plenty of goals and entertaining performances across the age groups.
The 2024 Kids Super Cup champions, Uganda’s Teletubbies, also began their U9 campaign with two victories. They beat Sparrows Football Academy 2-0 before producing a dominant 6-1 win over World Sports Health.
Gabriel Jubek scored a hat-trick, while Oteba Charles struck twice. Abi Abraham and Arthur Ngahu were also on the scoresheet for the Ugandan side.
Blue Bombers were another team to make headlines, hammering Ligi Ndogo Galaxy 14-0 in a U9 encounter. Darren Lunjala and Isaiah Mbaria each scored twice, while Tendai Weth and Travis Kim also found the net twice. Tobby Macharia and Mandla Gweth completed the rout.
In the U17 category, Kariobangi Sharks’ youth development side edged Sakata Soccer Stars 3-2 in a Group C encounter.
Blue Bombers and MEC Planets played out a goalless draw, while MidCity and Legacy Football Academy also shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw.
The 2022 U19 champions, True Talent, were held to a 0-0 draw by Chipuka Soccer Academy, while Cheza Sports suffered a 2-0 defeat to Blue Bombers Soccer Academy.
Sakata Soccer Stars 1 enjoyed a flying start in the U13 category, defeating Red Sea Soccer Academy in a goal-filled encounter. Ryan Weta scored twice, while Admeel Bensons, Apollo Mogwedhi and Dylan Madedo were also on target as Sakata raced into a 5-0 halftime lead.
Tyrone Mutuku Ndeto added two more goals after the break, with Arshdeep Singh Sarro completing the rout.
Ligi Ndogo Planets endured mixed fortunes in the U13 category, earning a walkover after Boca Juniors failed to turn up before suffering a narrow 4-3 defeat to Joiners.
In the U11 category, Baraka Oyaro and Khalif Abass Ibrahim scored first-half goals as Dream Team Soccer Academy defeated World Sports Health 2-1.
Volcano Football Academy edged Lexus Soccer Academy 2-1 in the U15 category, with Salman Mohamed Abdullahi and Abdishukri Abdirashid scoring for Volcano, while Ignaitus Owino pulled one back for Lexus. Fazam Football Academy also secured a 2-1 victory over Soka Talent.
Kifaru Football Academy defeated Ligi Ndogo Earth 3-0, while Legacy Football Academy and Ligi Ndogo Planets played out a goalless draw.
The U7 category also produced plenty of entertainment, with Ligi Ndogo Planets edging MEC Platinum 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller. Fazam beat Impala 5-2, while Lexus recorded the biggest win of the category with an 11-0 victory over Ligi Ndogo Planets.
With more matches scheduled over the coming days, the 19th edition of the Ligi Ndogo East Africa Cup is already living up to its reputation as one of the region’s biggest youth football tournaments, bringing together teams and academies from across East Africa.