Wamalwa stars as Kenya dominate Zambia in Africa Men’s 7s second leg opener

Amon Wamalwa of Kenya Harlequin was the man of the match as Kenya 7s team; Morans secured a dominant 26-7 victory over Zambia in a thrilling Africa Men’s 7s opening match played in Mauritius.

This is the second leg of the tournament. The first one happened last weekend.

From the very first whistle, Wamalwa took center stage, showcasing his speed and agility with a remarkable run to score the opening try.

Dennis Abukuse successfully converted the kick, putting Kenya on the scoreboard early.

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Wamalwa was not done. Minutes later, he capitalized on a scrum opportunity, cleverly exploiting the blindside to score his second try of the match.

Abukuse once again added the extra points with a successful conversion. Kenya's momentum continued as William Mwanji set up a stunning third try for Victor Mola. While the conversion attempt was unsuccessful, Kenya had built a commanding 19-0 lead.

Zambia, however, did not give up without a fight. They managed to score their only try in the dying minutes of the first half, giving themselves a glimmer of hope going into the break. HT scores 19-7.

The second half saw Kenya return with renewed vigor. A brilliant interception by Abukuse created the perfect opportunity for Wamalwa to notch his third try of the match. This time, Wamalwa stepped up to convert his own try, extending Kenya's lead to a significant 26-7.

The Morans will be looking to extend their fine run when they meet Algeria at 12:28 pm. They will end their pool matches with a clash against rivals Madagascar at 3:34 pm.

Morans’ run in first leg

The Kenyans headed to this tournament as the defending champions. In the first leg, they started their campaign on a high, seeing off hosts Mauritius 40-0 before defeating Nigeria 25-0 in the second pool match.

Their two-match winning streak was ended by Madagascar who narrowly defeated them 7-5 in the final pool match.

At the quarterfinal stage, the Kenyans failed to sparkle, going down 12-7 to South Africa. This was a repeat of the 2023 Rugby Africa Men’s Cup final where Kenya edged South Africa 17-12.

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The result saw them drop to the fifth-place playoff where they defeated Ivory Coast 22-5 to proceed to the fifth-place finals.

At the final stage, they were weighed down by Zimbabwe to finish their campaign at position six.

The overall winner will be determined by the points accumulated across the two rounds.

The top two ranked teams after both rounds will qualify for the 2025 World Rugby 7s Challenger Series.

Morans Squad in Mauritius:

Brian Mutua (CC), Ben Salem (CC), William Mwanji, Dennis Abukuse, Elvis Olukusi, Richard Liva, Gabriel Ayimba, Harmony Wamalwa, Festus Shiasi, Joel Inzuga, Victor Odhiambo, Edmund Anya

Head Coach: Louis Kisia

Team Manager: Morgan Ngumbi

Physio: John Elly