Mombasa Football Association Awards Winners of Veteran’s League
One of the veterans being awarded by Mvita member of parliament Machelle Mohamed Soud. (Photo By Harrison Kivisu)
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.cm
Mombasa County Football Association (MFA) has awarded winners of veteran’s league for over 40-years with medals, trophies and jerseys thank to their exemplary performance.
The awards went to individual winners, best overall team, fair play award, most disciplined team and the veteran player of the tournament above 40 years.
Speaking after the awards, MFA chairman Juma Goshi Ali said the league which was sponsored by Fuad Rashid and company was majorly to keep fit and cement unity among football legends.
Goshi acknowledged that the county association is recognized by Sports Act, but also defended the veteran’s league against saboteurs who he says have a mission to destabilise its presence by allowing parallel leagues against them.
The chairman, who was reacting to concerns from stakeholders, said his office would not sit back and watch as football unity was being destabilised by a few individuals.
This comes in the wake of Mombasa Football Kenya Federation (FKF) sub-branch was organising a similar league in what is seen as a move to counter the veteran’s league.
“We know there are intentions to finish the Mombasa veterans league, but we will not sit and watch that happen, we will fight back,” he said while giving clubs the freedom to play for any league of their choice.
During the awards held at the Mombasa SwahiliPot hub on Saturday; April 12, 2025, Goshi said the league started in 2014 and cannot be stopped by any shenanigans.
“As Mombasa county football association, we are recognized by the Sports Act. We are in office legally and therefore, we will not be intimidated. However, we ask clubs to be free to play for any league they want, but we will continue to hold the Mombasa veterans league because we are the pioneers.”
Kisauni veteran’s team which emerged the overall winners got a trophy, three balls, Jerseys and medals while 63 year old Athman Bugus bagged the veteran player of the year Award.
Digi plus company is the main sponsor of the league.
Others are fair play award that went to Ng’ombeni AllStars and Mombasa Highland veterans from Makande, Shimanzi bagging the most disciplined team award. Awards of appreciation went to Hussein Amin and Abdul Aziz.
Goshi said Mombasa premier league launch 2025 would kick off this weekend in Mombasa with opening ceremony being held in Bomani grounds in Likoni. The league brings together 18 teams from the county.
The first match will pit winners of the 2024 Mombasa County premier league Gigi plus against third placed Likoni Combined at Bomani grounds.
However, he disclosed that the league was till searching for sponsors to grace it.Also present was Mvita member of parliament Mohamed Machelle who emphasized on the need for football unity in the clamour to natural talents.
Machelle reiterated that his office will continue sponsoring youth sports activities in the quest for natural talents.
We will look at ways we can continue to support sports in Mombasa and specifically the Mvita area.We have a lot of talents that need to be nurtured so that we can increase Mombasa presence in the national team,”said Machelle.
He was speaking when he attended the awarding ceremony of the Mombasa veterans league awards at Swahili pot hub Amphitheater I Saturday.
