Dubai 7s: Kenya Sevens stun South Africa to bag first win of new season
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 30.11.24. | 15:03
Kenya’s next challenge awaits later in the evening when they face Australia at 7:22 pm
Kenya Sevens claimed a thrilling 22-17 victory over South Africa in a feisty African derby at the Dubai Sevens on Saturday 30 November.
Shujaa were coming off a narrow 24-19 loss to France in the opening match.
Despite struggles in the lineouts, the Kenyans displayed a dominant backline and an impressive command of kickoffs to secure the impressive win.
Shujaa wasted no time asserting their intent. Early in the first half, Nygel Amaitsa launched a pinpoint kick that South Africa failed to handle, resulting in a knock-on and a scrum advantage for Kenya.
From the ensuing play, Samuel Asati delivered a quick pass to Kevin Wekesa, who powered over the line to give Kenya an early lead. The try ignited cheers from Kenyan fans in the stadium.
Moments later, Amaitsa's accurate kicking was complemented by a well-timed chase from Patrick Odongo, who grounded the ball for Kenya's second try. After a review by the Television Match Official (TMO) that confirmed the score, the conversion sailed through, extending Kenya’s lead.
Shujaa continued their first-half dominance with Asati setting up Amaitsa, whose swift pass enabled Odongo to race over for another try. As the commentator exclaimed, "Welcome back Kenya. We missed you," the halftime scoreboard read 17-0 in favour of Kenya.
The second half was a different story as South Africa fought back fiercely. Kenya’s lineout errors proved costly, allowing South Africa to capitalize and score two tries, levelling the scores at 17-17.
The momentum briefly halted when play was stopped for nearly two minutes after a South African player required medical attention following a tackle by a Kenyan player.
With the clock winding down, Shujaa dug deep and delivered a decisive final blow. A well-executed play in the dying moments resulted in a crucial try that sealed the match 22-17.
Kenya’s next challenge awaits later in the evening when they face Australia at 7:22 pm. This victory over South Africa, however, will be a morale booster as Shujaa seek to make a strong statement in the HSBC SVNS Series.
They were building up on their Africa Men's 7s-cum-Olympics qualifiers where they defeated South Africa 17-12 in Zimbabwe to book a direct slot at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
