Supporting the 2025 season of “KIKKOMAN Presents Kibera A-GOAL League,” a Soccer League for Kenya’s Children
October 22, 2025
Since 2024, Kikkoman has been providing sponsorship to the general incorporated association “A-GOAL” in Kenya. A-GOAL was established in May 2020, amid drastically increased unemployment due to the impacts of Covid-19, to partner with sports clubs throughout each region in Africa and provide emergency food distribution. By July 2021, the association was providing food to a total of more than 10,000 residents in 11 countries via liaisons with regional soccer leagues in Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria, and through acute awareness of local needs.
As part of its initiatives under the philosophy of “Connecting Africa and Japan through Sports to Build a Sustainable Society,” A-GOAL organizes a youth soccer league in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, with the aim of preventing juvenile delinquency. Kikkoman provides sponsorship and operational support for the league. From the 2025 season, our second year of support, Kikkoman became the league’s naming rights partner, and the league is now titled “KIKKOMAN Presents Kibera A-GOAL League.”
In the 2025 season, the first leg was held between March and June. A total of 1,773 players from 108 teams representing 40 clubs participated in 1,312 matches — making it the largest leg since A-GOAL was founded. Additionally, 26,595 post-match meals were served during this period. The second leg began in September, with approximately 2,000 children and youth expected to take part.
Furthermore, a youth team selected from children aged 13 and under participating in the “KIKKOMAN Presents Kibera A-GOAL League” made their debut at the Nairobi International Cup (NaiCup), East Africa’s premier soccer tournament, held in Nairobi from August 12 to 16, and impressively emerged as champions. The NaiCup is a major soccer event, featuring over 272 teams across all categories and more than 9,000 participants. The team selected from the A-GOAL League won both the semifinal and final in dramatic penalty shootouts, earning the title of NaiCup champion.
Kibera is the largest slum in Africa, and its high crime rate, poor sanitation and prevalence of malnutrition make it a highly unfavorable environment for children. It is not uncommon for a poor family of 10 people to live together in 10-square-meter-wide shanties, unsanitary conditions, and with no outdoor space for children to play freely. Moreover, many children and youth living in the slum are not able to go to school and spend their days without food, often leading to hunger and boredom-induced crime and drug use. Under these circumstances, the Kibera A-GOAL League aims to both create an environment for youth to become passionate about soccer and prevent their involvement in crime, as well as provide youth tournament participants with meals for improved nutrition.
Under these circumstances, and commenting on the team's remarkable achievement, an A-GOAL representative said, “With teams from various soccer academies also participating in the tournament, this championship was a significant opportunity to showcase the potential of children from the Kibera slum. We hope to bring this success back to Kibera, using it to further energize the A-GOAL League and help propel the children toward a brighter future.”
Kikkoman will continue to provide a fun environment for children in Kenyan and across Africa to enjoy soccer and receive nutritious meals through the activities of A-GOAL, supporting abundant and healthy food lifestyles.
※Please click on the link to visit the A-GOAL website (available in Japanese only): https://a-goal.org/