- Kenya Lionesses defeated Belgium 17-05 in their opening match.
- Grace Adhiambo scored a hat-trick in the match.
- Lionesses will play their second Pool match against Uganda at 8:36 PM East African Time (EAT) on Friday, March 7.
Kenya Lionesses started the second leg of the 2025 HSBC Challenger Series on a higher note on Friday evening.
The Lionesses hammered European representatives Belgium 17-05 in a thrilling match that was staged at the Athlone Stadium in South Africa.
Kenya’s first try of the match came early in the first half through Grace Adhiambo, combined well with Sharon Auma. However, Belgium equalized shortly.
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As the game went on, Kenya managed to regain their lead after Adhiambo took advantage of lost of concentration from Belgium players and went on to score her second try of the match.
Adhiambo, who has been one of the influential players for the Kenya Lionesses since the start of the tournament, completed her hat-trick before the break with Sinaida Nyachio successfully making a conversion to give the East Africans a 17-05 lead.
Although Belgium managed caused them a lot of scare in the second half, Lionesses were able to saw the match off and pick up a victory.
The crucial win ensured the Kenyan women continued with their dominance in the high profile tournament that has seen them win all their matches.
The Lionesses secured the title in the first leg that was also played in Cape Town thanks to a 17-12 triumph over Argentina.
Prior to their sensational performance in the final, the Dennis Mwanja charges had also won all their Pool matches.
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The team, which is made up of talented players, thrashed Poland 29-07 before beating Samoa 29-05 in their second group match. They semifinal game against South Africa ended 19-15.
Should the Lionesses clinch the second leg title, they will move a step closer towards taking part in the HSBC SVNS promotion/regulation playoffs that is planned to take place between May 3 and May 4 in Los Angeles, United States.
The third and final round of the Challenger Series will be held in Krakow, Poland from April 11 to April 12.
A top four finish in the playoff tournament will ensure Kenya qualify for the prestigious HSBC SVNS series where at the moment there is no African representative.
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