Photo Credit: Tabby Nashipae
Day Two of the 2026 Safari 7s delivered relentless sevens action as host nation Kenya saw contrasting fortunes across its flagship teams.
Defending champions Kenya Shujaa shook off a sluggish tournament opening to secure vital victories, while the Kenya Lionesses and Kenya Morans underlined their title credentials by keeping their flawless runs intact.
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Lionesses Grind Out Thrilling Win Over Tunisia
The Kenya Lionesses continued their dominant defensive and offensive displays at the Nyayo National Stadium, holding off a stubborn Tunisia 7s side to register a hard-fought 19–12 victory (also recorded as 19–17 in round-robin standings) to lock in three consecutive wins.
Debutant Mwamba Starlets speedster Tracy Montex got Kenya off to a flyer, collecting an offload from Marvel Oswego before converting her own try to establish an early 7–0 lead. Tunisia responded quickly through Fatma, crossing for a converted try to level the score.
Sinaida Mokaya produced a piece of individual brilliance, sidestepping her marker before offloading to Sheila Chajira, who stormed over the whitewash for Kenya’s second converted try. Tunisia plugged away to cut the deficit to 14–12 right before the break.
Kenya Harlequins winger Catherine Elizabeth extended the advantage after the restart, gathering the ball on the left touchline to power over for a 19–12 lead. Tunisia threatened a late comeback, but a crucial forward pass from Sameh Lahouel—well-spotted by the referee—denied them a game-winning opportunity in the closing seconds.
Morans Batten Down the Hatches in Tight Battle With Zimbabwe
Kenya Morans maintained their impressive tournament form, showcasing clinical attacking phases before grinding out a gritty 12–12 draw against a physical Zimbabwe side.
Clinton Amukwachi opened the scoring with a well-converted try to put Morans ahead, but Zimbabwe quickly responded to cut the gap to 7–5. Lucky Onyango restored Kenya’s cushion shortly after, crossing for an unassisted try to take a 12–5 lead into halftime.
Zimbabwe struck back after the break with a converted try to level the scores at 12–12. Despite high-friction closing minutes, both defenses held firm to share the spoils.
Shujaa Overcome Underwhelming Start to Down Rivals Uganda
Defending champions Kenya Shujaa bounced back from a frustrating Day 1 draw against SportPesa Fast Forward to ignite their campaign with crucial victories on Saturday.
Uganda caught Shujaa napping early on, crossing for an unconverted try to take an early 5–0 lead. However, Gabriel Ayimba turned the tide, diving over for a converted try to hand Kenya a narrow 7–5 lead at the interval.
Ayimba doubled his tally shortly after the restart with a sharp line-break, making it 12–5. Glacious Owino then sealed the victory, crashing over for Shujaa’s third try to put the game beyond Uganda’s reach.
Kenya Shibli finally got their Safari 7s campaign up and running with a convincing 17–7 victory over TUK Women, putting an end to a run of heartbreaking last-minute defeats against Tunisia and Uganda.
Mary Chikombe broke the deadlock with an explosive burst through the middle, before Deleon Indombo added a second to give Shibli a comfortable 12–0 halftime cushion.
TUK hit back in the second half with a converted try, but Sharon Iminza put the result to bed after gathering a loose kick and racing under the posts.
Uganda Lady Cranes Extend Unbeaten Run
The Uganda Lady Cranes demonstrated their title credentials with a dominant 24–7 victory over Junior Lionesses, recording their third straight win.
Junior Lionesses took an early 7–0 lead through Rose Okwemba, but Uganda responded through Grace Auma to lead 10–7 at half-time. Second-half tries from Gertrude Kateesa and Rachael Mufuwa completed the comeback victory.
