The Kenya Lionesses will kick off their second-leg campaign of the HSBC SVNS Challenger Series 2025 against Belgium on Friday, 7th March 2025, before facing Uganda later the same day in Pool A at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.
Kenya were seeded in Group A after delivering an impressive performance in the first leg, where they clinched the title by defeating Argentina 17-12 in the main cup final last weekend at the same venue.
Their opening match against Belgium will commence at 4:55 PM EAT, followed by their encounter with Uganda at 8:36 PM.
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The Dennis Mwanja-coached side will be eager to seek revenge against Belgium, as the two teams meet again after their encounter in the Challenger Series last season in Uruguay, where the Lionesses were eliminated from main cup contention following a 21-5 loss in their final Pool B match.
As a result, they will be determined to avenge that defeat and continue their momentum from the first leg.
Uganda, however, are no strangers to the Lionesses. Last year, the Kenyan side dominated their opponents, securing a 19-0 victory in the Africa Cup 7s held in Accra, Ghana.
As the team prepares to face these two formidable opponents in the tournament, coach Dennis Mwanja, who guided the team to an outstanding performance in the first leg, acknowledged that it was no easy feat.
He emphasized that the primary focus is now on the second leg, stating that this could be the best Lionesses team Kenya has ever assembled.
“The pool games were not as easy as they seemed, but the ladies proved resilient, winning all their matches. The semi-final against South Africa was a mental game, and after beating them on home soil, we knew nothing could stop us. The final was physically manageable, but the girls struggled mentally due to complacency.
Nevertheless, we pushed through to secure the victory. We are now focused on another podium finish this weekend. This is a great milestone for the team, as we have never achieved such a feat before. This might be the best Lionesses team ever,” he said after securing the team’s first-ever title on the international stage.
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What Lionesses need in second leg to qualify for final playoff round
The Lionesses will need to finish in the top eight in the second leg to progress to the third and final tournament at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, scheduled for 11th–12th April.
There, they must secure a top-four finish in the cumulative points standings across the three Challenger rounds to qualify for the next stage—the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs in Los Angeles, set for 3rd–4th May.
In this high-stakes promotion and relegation tournament, they will face the bottom four ranked teams from the HSBC SVNS 2025, with four coveted spots in future SVNS tournaments up for grabs.
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Kenya Lionesses squad in Cape Town
1. Naomi Amuguni
2. Christabel Lindo
3. Sheila Chajira
4. Stellah Wafula
5. Faith Livoi
6. Moreen Muritu
7. Sinaida Mokaya
8. Freshia Oduor
9. Judith Okumu
10. Grace Okulu (Captain)
11. Sharon Auma
12. Diana Ochieng