Wonders FC crowned inaugural Grannies Cup champions

Wonders Football Club are the winners of the inaugural Gospel Football Tournament, the Grannies Cup, which was hosted by the Kick Off to Hope Foundation on Saturday at Dr Kraph Primary School in Makadara Constituency, Nairobi County.

Speaking to Radio Generation after the one-day tournament that brought together 80 grandmothers aged 55 years and above, Kick Off to Hope founder Musa Otieno, the most-capped former Harambee Stars captain, said his objective is to bridge the socio-economic gap that has been steadily widening among the elderly communities in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.

“These women raised us; we grew up as one solid community back then. You could not lack because, even if your family was not well off, the neighbours took care of us. That ensured we had basic needs like food, clothing, education, and shelter,” Otieno told Radio Generation.

The one-day tournament saw four teams battle for title honours, with the host estate, Maringo, fielding two teams — the experienced Bahamas and the newly formed Wonders FC. Jericho FC, making their second tournament appearance this year, also participated alongside Hamza FC from Hamza, Makadara, completing the four-team round-robin format.

“Currently we are looking for partners to team up with us. We already have the Kenya Grannies Football Federation, and we are currently in 27 counties,” said Phoebe Nandwa, chairperson of the Grannies Football Association of Nairobi.

“In Nairobi alone, we have more than six teams and we are growing. So if you know any woman aged above 55 years, let us know. We want to engage her so that even as we grow old, we age gracefully without health complications because we still want to be active in society and contribute to the growth of our economy,” Nandwa, who is the wife of former Harambee Stars player and coach James Nandwa, added.

Wonders FC claimed top honours with nine points after winning all three matches, while Jericho FC finished second with four points. Bahamas came third with two points, and Hamza FC finished fourth with one point.

All participants received medals, a cup, a pair of uniforms, and two footballs for each club.

Musa Otieno, through his Kick Off to Hope Foundation, is also engaging communities through outreach programmes for destitute and vulnerable persons, single mothers, widows, and orphans, with initiatives aimed at building socio-economic capacity.