Safari 7s:East Africa derby on cards as Shujaa face Shogun in final
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 12.10.25. | 15:47
Shogun booked their place in the title decider after narrowly defeating Kenya’s second team, Morans, 14-12, in a tense semifinal encounter
Kenya Sevens national team, Shujaa, are through to the 2025 Safari 7s final after edging out tournament favorites Zimbabwe 29-19 in a thrilling semifinal clash played on Sunday, 12 October, at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Shujaa will meet Shogun Rugby in what promises to be a fiery final.
It will be a repeat of the 2024 final, where Shujaa defeated them 12-0 to clinch the title.
Shogun booked their place in the title decider after narrowly defeating Kenya’s second team, Morans, 14-12, in a tense semifinal encounter.
Shogun drew first blood early in the game, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Morans.
Brian Mutua was sent to the sin bin shortly after, and Shogun capitalized on the numerical advantage with two quick converted tries.
However, Rayvon Ambale, one of Morans’ standout newcomers, reignited hope with a converted try that brought the home crowd to life.
In the dying minutes, Victor Mola crossed the line to put Morans within touching distance, but a missed conversion cost them dearly, leaving Shogun 14-12 winners and sending Morans to the third-place playoff.
In the second semifinal, Shujaa came out firing, with Patrick Odongo opening the scoring in the early minutes.
The conversion went wide.
KCB Rugby’s Festus Shiasi then sliced through Zimbabwe’s defense to double the lead, giving Kenya a solid start despite another missed conversion.
Zimbabwe responded strongly after the restart with a converted try, but their momentum was halted when one of their players was sent to the sin bin.
Shujaa immediately took advantage as George Ooro dotted down to restore the lead, though the conversion again fell short.
Zimbabwe fought back to narrow the gap, but Nygel Amaitsa’s brilliant run saw Kenya regain control at 22-19.
In the dying minutes, Vincent Onyala sealed the win with a decisive try, this time successfully converted, ensuring Shujaa’s place in the final.
The result sets up an all-Kenyan showdown between Shujaa and Shogun, while Morans will battle Zimbabwe for third place.
In the women’s category, Uganda continued their dominant run, outclassing defending champions Costa Blanca 17-12 to storm into the final.
They will meet the Kenya Lionesses, who overcame Shogun Rugby 12-10 in the second semifinal.
This promises to be an East African derby for the books.
