‘I Will End My Career!’ - Menengai Oilers Captain Declares Should Kenya Simbas Achieve ‘Dream’ World Cup Qualification

Ayoo is part of the 33-man Kenya Simbas squad that travelled to South Africa recently to take part in a month-long preparation camp ahead of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup.

For Kenya Simbas and Menengai Oilers star Hibrahim Ayoo, taking part in the 2027 World Cup which the country is in preparations to qualify for would not only fulfil a lifelong dream, but also give him a sense of satisfaction after years pouring blood, sweat and tears playing the game he loves.

Ayoo, who guided Menengai Oilers to within a point of ending Kabras Sugar’s recent dominance in the Kenya Cup when they lost 27-26 in April, was part of the 33-man final Simbas squad Jerome Paarwater named for a pre-tournament training camp in South Africa.

Simbas are set to take part in the Rugby Africa Cup this year, a tournament that will go a long way in helping their preparations as they aim at qualifying for the 2027 World Cup tournament, set to be held in Australia, for the first tim ever.

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Ayoo was speaking to Pulse Sports after Simbas destroyed United Arab Emirates 54-24 in  a friendly match played in front of a packed RFUEA Ground on Saturday when he gave his honest opinion over Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the quadrenial tournament.

Ayoo: We are on the right path

“For us it was a build up match to help also the coaches to choose the 33 man squad into the build up match in SA,” Ayoo said post-match. 

“On a personal level I think I'm there. I'm very  certain that I'm there.  But for the team also it was a good show. It was a 50 man squad. 

“ The players had to be on check.  We had a lot of plays.  The new guys are learning. And that was the purpose.”

Simbas finished fourth at the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup in Uganda. The side are preparing to make amends for their loss with their target being to go all the way this year. 

Buoyed by financial support after the acquisition of Kenya Airways as a partner, the side will be taking part in some build up matches against a host of Western Province teams in South Africa to gain the experience and match readiness needed to go all the way in the cup.

Ayoo believes work still needs to be done for them to achieve this dream.

“I think not as now but as the preparation of coming if you have the camp in South Africa if things work into place we have a lot of time to correct on the don'ts we didn't do  and do better in the things we did then we are there yeah so I think the program is legit and the program is to take us to the top.”

Kenya's national 15s rugby team, the Simbas, has a long history of trying to qualify for the Rugby World Cup but has yet to make its debut. Since the 1990s, Kenya has regularly participated in the qualification process and steadily improved, often reaching the final stages of African qualifiers. 

Their closest opportunity came during the 2019 campaign when they finished second behind Namibia in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup and earned a spot in the global repechage tournament, only to lose all their matches. 

A similar story played out in the 2023 qualifiers, where Kenya again fell to Namibia in the final and failed to secure a World Cup spot via the repechage, losing heavily to teams like the USA, Portugal, and Hong Kong.

Several factors have hindered Kenya's breakthrough, including limited funding, lack of consistent international exposure, and an underdeveloped professional 15s structure compared to their continental rivals. 

While Kenya Sevens has enjoyed global success, the 15s team has struggled to maintain the same momentum. 

However, with increasing efforts to professionalize the game and invest in youth development, there is hope that the Simbas will eventually earn a place at the Rugby World Cup and make history for East African rugby.

Should they finally break the duck in 2027,it will mean so much for Ayoo.

“If we qualify for the World Cup I think, it's the end of season for me.  I'll say thank you to Kenya Rugby  and end my career (after we play at the World Cup). 

“If we qualify for the World Cup,  for most guys it is a dream come true. Even for the management of the KRU, for the management of the Simbas,  every rugby player or every rugby fan in Kenya.

“It's a thing for fans, it's a big thing for the players and it will open a lot of doors for the rugby players even in Kenya. So it would be a great feeling.”