Cape Town 7s: Shujaa eye 5th place finish in tricky showdown against Argentina
Kenya's rugby sevens team, Shujaa, will be looking to secure a fifth-place finish at the Cape Town Sevens with a win against Argentina on Sunday at 12.22 PM.
After a mixed bag of results on Saturday, the team is determined to end the tournament on a high note with a commanding performance against the South Americans.
Shujaa began their Cape Town campaign in style, pulling off a remarkable 19-12 comeback victory against Australia.
The match saw Shujaa overcome a 12-0 halftime deficit with a gritty second-half performance. Australia's two first-half tries seemed to put the game out of reach, but Kevin Wekesa reignited Kenya's hopes with a try, converted by Nygel Amaitsa, narrowing the gap to 12-7 at halftime.
In the second half, Shujaa dominated possession, forcing Australia into defensive errors. A penalty try awarded after Dennis Abukuse was tackled without the ball gave Kenya a 14-12 lead.
George Ooro then sealed the victory with a brilliant solo try from a ruck, securing a memorable win and avenging their 31-14 loss to the Aussies in Dubai the previous week.
However, Shujaa's semifinal hopes were dashed later in the day following a 14-7 loss to Spain, the Dubai Sevens silver medalists.
. @KenyaSevens falls to @ferugby in their second Pool match. #SportPesaNaShujaa #MpesaPowersKenya7s #SafaricomRugby #CapeTown7s pic.twitter.com/19ZIH8QmTX
— Kenya Rugby (@OfficialKRU) December 7, 2024
The narrow defeat left Kenya with no path to the semifinals, setting up their showdown with Argentina for a fifth-place finish.
Kenya's resilience and tactical discipline will be tested against Argentina, who pose a formidable challenge. A victory on Sunday would provide a morale boost and cap off a mixed but promising campaign for Kevin Wambua's side.