Coastal Cup 2025

Objectives

The Coastal Cup 2025 aimed to expand our grassroots football programme by bringing together a record number of schools from across Kwale County, with a dedicated girls' division running alongside the main draw for the third consecutive year.

What Happened

Over three days at Ukunda Grounds, teams competed in a round-robin format before knock-out quarter-finals and finals. The event opened with a cultural exchange session — a tradition since the first edition — where Russian and Kenyan traditions were shared through music, food, and storytelling.

The girls' division drew twelve teams, with Shimba Hills Primary winning the trophy in an exciting final. The overall boys' winner was Diani Community Secondary, who defended their title from 2024.

Key Moments

A standout moment came during the closing ceremony, when students led a joint performance of Kenyan and Russian folk songs they had learned over the preceding weeks. Regional officer James Mwangi noted that the event represented "exactly the kind of community-building that sport should do."

Why It Mattered

For many participants, the Cup is their only structured competitive experience of the year. Three schools sent students who had never left their home villages before. The event connected them not just to football, but to each other — and to a wider sense of possibility.