Vancouver 7s: Shujaa’s losing streak continues, drop to 11th-place playoff
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 23.02.25. | 08:55
This loss places Kenya in the 11th-place playoff, where they will now face England at 9:50 p.m. East African Time
Kenya Sevens' struggles in the World 7s Series continued as they suffered a 19-14 defeat to Uruguay in the ninth-place semifinals at BC Place in Canada.
This marked their fourth consecutive loss in the Vancouver leg of the series, extending their winless run.
After a disappointing pool stage where they lost all three matches—28-0 to Argentina, 33-7 to France, and 26-10 to Great Britain—Shujaa aimed to turn things around in the knockout stages.
Coach Kevin Wambua made a tactical switch, introducing Nygel Amaitsa into the starting lineup in a bid to strengthen the team.
However, Kenya found themselves trailing early when Uruguay’s Tomas Etcheverry capitalized on swift offloads to break through Kenya’s defense and open the scoring.
Matters worsened for Shujaa when Amaitsa picked up an injury, forcing an early substitution that saw Jone Kubu Tavaga enter the fray.
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Kenya responded well, with Vincent Onyala setting up Kevin Wekesa, who offloaded to Kubu for the equalizer.
The Fijian-born Kenyan international then struck again moments later, weaving through Uruguay’s defense to score at the corner, giving Kenya a 14-7 halftime lead.
Uruguay fought back in the second half, with Juan Gonzalez leveling the score at 14-14 in the 10th minute after a scrum.
Two minutes later, Gonzalez struck again, securing a 19-14 advantage for the South Americans.
Kenya pushed for a late winner, and Brian Tanga’s well-placed grabber kick almost set up Floyd Wabwire for a dramatic finish.
However, Uruguay managed to recover possession and kick the ball out, sealing the victory.
This loss places Kenya in the 11th-place playoff, where they will now face England at 9:50 p.m. East African Time.
With their struggles in Vancouver, Shujaa will need a strong response to salvage their campaign.
