Kenya sevens coach Kevin Wambua faces a tough balancing act as he prepares to name his final 25-man squad for the international season following impressive performances by Shujaa and Morans at the Safari Sevens.
After an all-Kenyan final in which Shujaa beat Morans 24-5 to lift the title, Wambua and his technical bench must return to the drawing board to identify the best combination for the challenges ahead.
“It will be a tall order selecting the final squad with the talent we have. We have a couple of weeks to sift through the selections and pick the best for the country. “I believe the performances have given us several options in terms of starters, combinations and bench players. It is a good thing for the coach to have an array of quality players to choose from,” observed Wambua.
He added: “The new faces in the squad bring an X-factor, dynamism, robustness and energy, which will be an asset for the team heading into the new season.”
Among Shujaa’s standout performers, who have now gone 28 matches unbeaten at the Safari Sevens since losing to Germany in 2022, were young guns Rayvone Ambale of Kabras Sugar and Victor “Mola” Odhiambo of Strathmore Leos.
They were joined by Gabriel Ayimba and tournament Most Valuable Player Elvis Olukusi of KCB, who appears energised after years of near misses, as well as Menengai Oilers playmaker Glacious “Nganya” Owino, who proved a handful for opposition defences throughout the three-day tournament. For Morans, captain Clinton Amukwachi of Daystar Falcons caught the selectors’ attention with his barnstorming displays and physicality.
He was joined by 19-year-old Kabras scrum-half Michael Lukusi, whose quick service and sharp distribution stood out; Mwamba fly-half Dennis Ndayala; Kabras forward Matthias Osimbo, who was devastating with ball in hand and in defence; and Arnold Agonda.
Shujaa claimed the title despite missing experienced leaders Vincent Onyala and Kevin Wekesa, further complicating Wambua’s task as he weighs his options ahead of the final squad announcement.
The coach noted that several players who featured over the weekend had also represented Morans during their successful Africa Cup campaign, in which Kenya defeated Madagascar, underlining the depth of talent available to the national sevens programme.
“I believe we are in a good place in terms of talent identification and the players coming through the various age-grade structures of Kenya Rugby,” said Wambua.
The Safari Sevens triumph provides Shujaa with a strong foundation as they prepare for the HSBC Sevens Division Two tournament in January 2027.
Beyond that, the ultimate objectives are to secure promotion to Division One of the HSBC Sevens Series for the 2027-2028 season and qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
