Kenya Sevens have secured their spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics following a hard-fought victory over South Africa, with a final score of 17-12 in the Cup final of the Africa Sevens tournament held in Harare, Zimbabwe this past Sunday.
Shujaa displayed an impeccable performance throughout the tournament, progressing seamlessly from the group stage.
They continued their winning streak by defeating Burkina Faso 26-10 and Zimbabwe 35-10 in the cup quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, setting the stage for their showdown with South Africa in the final.
Shujaa’s Triumph in Olympic Qualifiers
In a tournament where only the champions earned a direct ticket to Paris, Kevin Wambua’s team faced a formidable challenge, and they had to work tirelessly for their victory.
Patrick Odongo emerged as the hero of the day, scoring two crucial tries for Shujaa. He opened the scoring for Kenya, converting it to establish a 7-0 lead.
However, South Africa responded with two rapid tries, one of which was successfully converted, giving them a 12-7 lead at halftime.
Kenya’s journey to this triumph began with a flawless group stage performance, starting with a 34-10 victory over Nigeria, followed by a dominant 50-0 win against Namibia and concluding with a convincing 38-12 defeat of Zambia.
For Coach Kevin Wambua, this achievement marks a promising start to his tenure, with the primary goal of securing Kenya’s Olympic qualification realized, despite the challenging presence of South Africa.
Sevens Team Overcomes the Odds
The Blitzboks had to contend with the qualifiers after failing to secure a top-four finish in the previous season’s World Rugby Sevens Series.
They were heavily favored to secure the Paris ticket, especially considering Kenya’s struggles in the World Series, which led to their relegation for the first time in 19 years.
Heading to Zimbabwe, Shujaa faced skepticism, but their successful Olympic qualification has rekindled confidence in the team’s potential to bounce back from the second-tier Challenger Series to the top-flight next season.
This victory now allows Kenya to initiate preparations for the Olympics, marking their third consecutive appearance in the Games since rugby sevens was introduced at the 2016 edition.
Watch their short celebration below:
🏆🏆🏆 The moment #Kenya7s lifted the Africa 7s title to not only qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics but also qualify for the series challenger that will serve as a pathway back to the HSBC World Sevens Series
pic.twitter.com/4eqbfnW2aX— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) September 17, 2023
