Opening of the 'KIKKOMAN presents Kibera A-GOAL League 2026'

A-GOAL (Location: Tokyo, Representative: Takumi Kishi) has been organizing the "Kibera A-GOAL League," a youth soccer league for children in the "Kibera Slum," one of Africa's largest slums located in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, since October 2022.

The league has entered its fourth year and is set to open its new season as the "KIKKOMAN presents Kibera A-GOAL League 2026" on April 3, 2026.

Last season, 1,312 matches were held in the 1st leg (March 16 - June 8) and 2,324 matches in the 2nd leg (September 14 - December 15). A total of approximately 57,105 meals were provided (menu: ugali, rice, stir-fried cabbage, mung beans).

Additionally, in December, a selected team from the under-13 league went on an expedition to Tanzania, and since last year, a girls' team has also participated. They competed in the "Chipkizi Cup," one of East Africa's largest youth soccer tournaments. Both the boys and girls advanced through the qualifying rounds and reached the knockout stage. Following last year's result of a first-round exit in the knockout stage, this year they achieved outstanding results: the girls reached the top 8, and the boys finished as runners-up.
For the children who had never left Kenya or Nairobi, this was a valuable experience that expanded their world.

Comment Video from the Captain of the Girls' Team on the Tanzania Expedition
[2025 Tanzania Expedition] Comment from the Girls' Team Captain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=AKBm0YiaT8JZfxIh&v=mQHcMt8Zu6o&feature=youtu.be

Furthermore, this league and the activities of A-GOAL have been highly evaluated by the Japan Sports Agency. In February of this year, A-GOAL was selected to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Commissioner of the Sports Agency. Ken Rashid, Chairman of the Kibera A-GOAL League, and Collins Wasonga, Vice Chairman, visited Japan for the first time, confirming stronger collaboration between Kenya and Japan.

First Visit to Japan for Ken & Collins, Receiving the Certificate of Appreciation from the Commissioner of the Sports Agency | A-GOAL:
https://a-goal.org/a-goal_sportfortomorrow/

For the 2026 season, the 1st leg is scheduled from April to the end of June, followed by the 2nd leg starting in September. Currently, approximately 2,100 children are expected to participate.