Kenya Lionesses head coach Dennis Mwanja has revealed the tactical approach that led to their remarkable back-to-back victories in the first two outings of the Challenger Series 2025 tournament both held at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.
The Lionesses reached the finals for the second time, where they faced host nation South Africa and triumphed with a commanding 17-0 win.
Before meeting the Springbok Ladies, Mwanja guided the team through an impressive tournament run.
In Pool A, they secured victories over Belgium (17-5) and Uganda (10-5) before extending their unbeaten streak with a 12-5 win over Colombia in the semifinals.
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Despite the victories, Mwanja acknowledged the intensity of the matches, particularly against Uganda in the final pool match and Colombia in the semifinal, noting that the players appeared a bit frustrated. This led him to adjust his strategy ahead of the final.
“Playing against Uganda and Colombia was tough for us and in the semifinal and our girls looked a bit rattled.
In the Colombia game we wanted to keep possession of the ball and using our chances, being able to utilize our opportunities. In the final, I told the players to go and leave it all on the pitch,” Mwanja said.
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He also highlighted the significance of their win over South Africa in the final, describing it as a milestone for the team.
The victory was especially sweet, as it allowed them to avenge two previous setbacks against South Africa—in Tunisia in 2023 and Ghana in 2024.
“We lost to South Africa in Tunisia 2023 and again in Ghana 2024 so this victory is poetic justice for us. The girls believed in themselves and they beat SA in this final.
Let us enjoy this moment and then after a week’s rest, we are back to training ahead of the third leg of the Challenger Series in Poland.” he concluded.
Leading the overall standings with 40 points, the Lionesses will now turn their attention to the third and final leg of the Challenger Series, set to take place in Krakow, Poland, on April 11 and 12.
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Kenya Lionesses lead the overall standings
