NAIROBI, Kenya, July 19, 2026 – Martin Kibiwot and Shirley Ndirangu booked their tickets to this year’s Global Esports Games after emerging victorious in the eFootball™ Open and Women’s categories respectively during the national qualifiers at the Homeboyz Institute in Nairobi on Saturday.
Kibiwot produced an impressive performance throughout the tournament before defeating the experienced Harry Thuku 2–1 in a closely contested Open Final to earn Kenya’s coveted qualification slot.
In the women’s category, Ndirangu delivered a composed display to overcome Shantel Wanjiru 2–0.
Kibiwot expressed his excitement about representing Kenya on the global stage.
“Winning this tournament means everything to me. The competition was extremely tough, and facing Harry in the final pushed me to my limits. I’m honoured to represent Kenya in Los Angeles, and I’ll work even harder over the coming months to ensure I make the country proud,” he said.
At the same time, Ndirangu described the victory as a milestone in her esports journey.
“I am incredibly happy to have earned the opportunity to represent Kenya. The level of competition among the women continues to improve, and this victory motivates me to prepare even harder for Los Angeles. I hope this inspires more young women to pursue esports and believe that they, too, can compete internationally,” she said.
The duo will now shift their attention to the global showpiece, scheduled for Los Angeles on December 3-10, where they will put their skills to the test against hundreds of other accomplished players.
