France-based star Grace Adhiambo is set to return to the Kenya Lionesses squad for the Africa Rugby Sevens Championship at the RFUEA Ground on November 7-8 as the hosts seek to dethrone South Africa and secure promotion to the HSBC Sevens Series.
Adhiambo missed the recent Safari Sevens due to club commitments with Racing 92 in Paris but is expected to join the national team a week before the continental showpiece.
Kenya will be out to make amends after losing 22-0 to South Africa in last year’s final at the same venue. Head coach Simon Odongo believes Adhiambo’s experience, tactical awareness and playmaking ability will strengthen the side’s bid to reclaim continental honours and secure a place in the HSBC Sevens II competition.
“She is a vital member of the team, and with her history and knowledge of the game and her tactical acumen, she is an asset to the side. Her game has developed since joining France,” said Odongo.
Kenya have been drawn in Pool B alongside Tunisia, Ghana and Egypt, with Odongo warning his players not to underestimate their opponents as they pursue a place in the semi-finals. “Tunisia trained with us at Safari Sevens, and they are improving. Ghana are a physical side who are learning the game very well, while Egypt are making strides,” he said.
“The nature of sevens is tricky, so we take one match at a time and, by the end of the day, we want to have qualified for the semi-finals.”
Defending champions South Africa headline Pool A alongside Zambia, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, while Pool C features Uganda, Madagascar, Mauritius and Burkina Faso.
The tournament offers a pathway to the HSBC Sevens III competition in Dubai in December or January, while the two finalists will earn promotion to HSBC Sevens II, scheduled for Talanta Stadium in Nairobi on January 23-24, 2027.
Odongo said Kenya’s immediate priority was to navigate the pool stage before turning their attention to the knockout rounds. “We are taking one step at a time. We play well in the preliminary games, then qualify for the knockout phase and get to the final,” he said.
The coach also believes the Safari Sevens provided valuable preparation for the continental championship, with the technical bench using the tournament to assess players in different positions and experiment with tactical approaches.
“We played different formations and systems across all three teams at Safari Sevens. We wanted to see them playing in different positions, like playing wing, centre or prop, so it was a solid exercise, and the technical bench learnt a few lessons,” said Odongo.
The Lionesses will hold a two-week non-residential training camp from October 19-31 before entering a week-long intensive camp ahead of the championship.
