Coach Bling still in awe of Kenya 7's success

Kenya 7s national team's coach, Kevin Wambua, alias Bling, has heaped praise on his charges after they retained the Safari 7s title in the tournament played at the RFUEA Ground over the weekend.

Shujaa were in a class of their own, brushing aside the Samurai Barracudas 19-0 in the closely contested final to retain the title they last won in 2021 at the Nyayo National Stadium.

The resilient Kenya 7s landed at the RFUEA ground with a bang, seeing off SA All Stars 36-0 before securing wins over Tropic 7s 33-5, Uganda Cranes 17-5, and Red Wailers 34-7 to cruise to the semifinals.

In the semifinal stage, they defeated Germany 19-5 to book a date with Samurai in the finals.

Samurai, on the other hand, had narrowly defeated the Uganda Cranes 21-19 to proceed to the final stage.

Speaking after the triumphant victory, Coach Bling dedicated the win to the fans. Kenyan fans turned up in large numbers and cheered along for their favorite players, a major factor that contributed to their win. Shujaa did not suffer a loss in the tournament.

"The win is good. We dedicate this win to the fans. They really psyched up the boys and brought in the needed atmosphere, so they deserve it," Bling said.

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The tactician who led them to secure a direct spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics further noted that they played according to the book.

"We were clinical in setpieces and restarts. Everything that we have been working on came into play today, and I thank the boys for their hard work," he offered.

Bling's sentiments were also echoed by Shujaa's strength and conditioning coach, Andrew Amonde, who lauded the boys for sticking to the plan.

The KCB Rugby tactician also pointed out that the tournament served as a springboard for Kenyan players and teams as they beefed up preparations for the upcoming 2023–24 Kenya Cup season.

"Most of the things went to plan. The boys executed most of the things that we planned. Their success shows how much hard work we have been putting in. We are still going to push them to the next level.

The main aim of this tournament is to expose our boys to as much as possible. They have played very well. It is a learning process. This is a tournament that Kenya uses for benchmarking, to see where we are and where we are headed," he averred.

The Kenya Sevens were using this weekend's tournament as a build-up for the 2024 Challenger Series.

The Challenger Series is the pathway teams use to qualify for the World Seven Series and will be played in Dubai, Munich, and Madrid in the first part of next year.

The side has also shifted focus to the Dubai Invitational Tournament penciled for December 1–3.

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