Debutant Patrick Sabatia in as Paarwater names squad for Rugby Africa Cup quarterfinal clash
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 07.07.25. | 15:31
Only one team will emerge as Africa’s direct representative at the World Cup, a slot that Kenya has narrowly missed out on in previous campaigns
Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater has named a strong matchday squad for their highly-anticipated Rugby Africa Cup quarterfinal clash against the Uganda Cranes, set for Tuesday, July 8 at 4:00 p.m. at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Kampala.
Flanker Patrick Sabatia is poised to earn his first international cap, making his debut in the starting XV.
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He lines up in the back row alongside Thomas Okeyo, with the dynamic Bethuel Anami named at number eight.
Captain George Nyambua will bring leadership and experience to the second row, where he will partner with Andycole Omolo.
The front row remains unchanged from previous outings, featuring Ephraim Oduor at loosehead prop, Eugene Sifuna at hooker, and Wilhite Mususi at tighthead.
In the backs, Samuel Asati starts at scrum-half, linking up with fly-half Barry Young.
Walter Okoth and Bryceson Adaka form a solid center pairing, while the back three sees Griffin Chao and Timothy Omela on the wings, with Jone Kubu taking up duties at fullback.
The bench features two more potential debutants, Vincent Mwikhali and David Bunduki, who will be hoping to earn their first appearances.
Also named among the replacements are Teddy Akala, Edward Mwaura, Hibrarhim Ayoo, Obat Kuke, Brian Tanga, and John Okoth.
The Simbas head into this fixture riding high on confidence after defeating Uganda Cranes in their last meeting.
Kenya beat Uganda 48-30, on aggregate, during the 2024 Elgon Cup, with the first leg ending 27-25 and dominating the second 21-5.
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Coach Paarwater’s men are keen to translate that form into continental success as they seek to take a step closer to the ultimate prize: qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
“This is the moment we have been preparing for. We respect Uganda, but we are focused on executing our game plan and progressing to the next stage,” Paarwater said in the build-up.
The stakes could not be higher. The winner of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup will book a direct ticket to the 2027 World Cup, while the runner-up will still have a shot through a global repechage tournament.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday, 13 July, with the final set to take place on Saturday, 19 July.
Only one team will emerge as Africa’s direct representative at the World Cup, a slot that Kenya has narrowly missed out on in previous campaigns, often falling short against regional powerhouses like Namibia.
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