Safaricom Head of Marketing Nozizwe Vundla Awuor has revealed this year’s edition of the Chapa Dimba Football Tournament will feature players wearing AI vests to gather important data about their performances and enhance scouting.
The tournament is expected to resume this year after a three-year break.
The AI vest will be able to give stats including the top speed, distance per minute, acceleration, deceleration and heat maps.
Safaricom will be able to storethat data and share it with different bodies, such as the FKF Football Kenya Federation, players themselves and international coaches also.
“The focus right now is on unearthing that talent. Of course, the question is whether we can use that tech at the Kenya Premier League level. Yes, we can. But first, let us find that talent,” she said.
Awuor said AI can be a useful tool for local football clubs and the development of grassroots football in Africa.
She also added that AI improves players by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and modelling their coaching in line with their needs.
Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom is a national football tournament for male and female youth aged between 16-20 years. The aim is to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent and build feeder systems for the Kenyan football leagues across the country while also training a total of 250 coaches.
Safaricom is the leading telecommunication company in Kenya and is also known to be relentlessly delving into digital space and innovation. This is especially with creating apps and new technologies with the aim to transform lives.
Some of the apps include the M-pesa app which has revolutionized the lives of Kenyans for the better.
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