Barthes Trophy 2022: Chipu face tough test against Namibia in semis repeat of 2019 final

The national U20 rugby 15s side, Kenya Chipu, will face a daunting task on Wednesday afternoon when they face their Namibian counterparts for a place in the final match of the 2022 U20 Barthes Trophy currently taking place at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

Billed as the two favourites going into tournament, the two sides come up against each other in a repeat of the 2019 Barthes final where Kenya narrowly walked away with a 21-18 victory in a hard fought contest staged at the KCB Sports Club back then under current Simbas head coach Paul Odera.

In the game, Chipu, who are on home soil, come in with their title at stake as they seek to prevent the Namibians from denying them a chance of advancing to the final of a title they have won for the last two editions in a row (first time in 2019 and then in 2021).

Barthes Cup: Chipu bank on home advantage against Namibia

Having condemned neighbours Uganda to a 54-20 drubbing in the quarter final, Chipu will draw some confidence from that opening game but will know very well the difference in quality of opposition that awaits them come the semifinal clash.

However, despite the challenge that lies ahead, team captain John Baraka backed his side to pull through in the match after intensified training in the build up to the match.

“To whom much is given, much is expected. We are going to give our best in the game against Namibia and we are going to come through. Our coaches have given us a lot and all we can do is to implement what we have trained on,” he said.

On the other hand, Namibia will be aiming to get their revenge after being denied the chance to claim the trophy in 2019. In their quarter final match, the impressive Namibians whitewashed Cote D’Ivoire 62-0, the 2022 tournament’s biggest winning margin, to set up the clash.

The match will kick off at 1400EAT.

In the second cup semifinal, Zimbabwe will lock horns against Madagascar for the other ticket to the final.

Madagascar, who made it to the 2021 final but narrowly lost to Kenya (21-20), will be relying on that past experience when they face a Zimbabwe side out to create a story of their own having already shown incredible character in getting to the semifinals.

Just before those last 4 pairings, though, there will be two games pitting the losing quarterfinalists where Cote D’Ivoire will face Uganda in the first match of the day as Tunisia face Zambia in the subsequent clash.

Placement Semifinal Fixtures:

SF 1 (9 a.m. EAT): Cote d’Ivoire vs Uganda

SF 2 (11.30 a.m. EAT): Tunisia vs Zambia

Main Cup Semifinal Fixtures:

SF 1 (2 p.m.): Namibia vs Kenya

SF 2 (4.30 p.m.): Zimbabwe vs Madagascar