Kenya Sevens head coach explains inclusion of Victor Mola to Spain travelling party
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 25.05.26. | 17:35
The highly-rated youngster is set to make his long-awaited debut for the national team after steadily building a reputation as one of Kenya's brightest rugby prospects through impressive performances at club and junior levels
Kenya Sevens head coach Kevin 'Bling' Wambua has explained the inclusion of Strathmore Leos youngster Victor Mola in the Shujaa travelling squad for the Valladolid leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series.
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The tactician revealed that the promising youngster had been knocking on the door of the national team for months before finally earning his opportunity.
Mola has been named in the squad that will compete in Valladolid, Spain, from Friday, 29 to Sunday, 31 May, as Shujaa seek to improve on their seventh-place finish at last month's Hong Kong Sevens.
The highly-rated youngster is set to make his long-awaited debut for the national team after steadily building a reputation as one of Kenya's brightest rugby prospects through impressive performances at club and junior levels.
According to Wambua, Mola had been close to making the team earlier in the season before an injury disrupted his progress.
"Victor Mola has been knocking on the door for a Shujaa debut for close to three months now. Earlier in the year, we travelled with him to a training camp in South Africa, but unfortunately, he picked up an injury, which kept him out for the better part of the SVNS 2 campaign," Wambua offered.
The coach, however, praised the youngster's resilience and commitment during his recovery, saying he has earned another chance through hard work.
"However, he has worked extremely hard since then. He is agile, quick, and the kind of player who can come on in the latter stages of a match and provide that X-factor for the team.” Bling said.
Wambua believes the youngster possesses qualities that can make a difference, but urged him to stay patient as he begins his journey at the highest level.
"I have great confidence in his abilities, but he also needs to remain patient. Whenever he gets an opportunity, he has to make sure he makes the most of it," he added.
Mola's rise has been marked by several individual achievements. He was named the top try scorer and Most Promising Player during the 2024 Great Rift 10s and had earlier scooped the Most Promising Player award at the 2022 Dala 7s.
His rugby journey has also seen him represent Chipu in the U20 Barthes Cup and the World Rugby U20 Trophy. He joined Strathmore Leos from Kisumu RFC after impressive displays in 2022 and has since continued his development under seasoned tactician Louis Khisia, who currently serves as Shujaa assistant coach.
Beyond union rugby, Mola also featured for the Kenya Rugby League national team during its historic international debut at the Mid-East Rugby League Championship in Ghana.
As the team prepares for the Spain assignment, Wambua also rallied supporters to continue backing Shujaa.
"On behalf of myself and the team, I would like to thank our fans for their continued support sincerely. It is always encouraging to have them behind us, especially during difficult moments on the pitch.
To those travelling to Spain, we urge you to come out in large numbers and support the team. We will not disappoint you. By the end of these two legs, we hope we will all have something to celebrate because I am very confident in this team's abilities,” Wambua concluded.
Shujaa have been placed in Pool A together with Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa.