- Kenya Lionesses fell to South Africa 19-12 in the ongoing 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup on Wednesday afternoon at Stade Makis in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
- As a result, the Lionesses have now extended their winless streak against the Springbok Women to seven matches, with South Africa maintaining dominance in every encounter since 2019.
- The Lionesses now turn their attention to their final match of the tournament, where they will face Uganda on June 15.
The spirited Kenya Lionesses 15s side narrowly lost 19-12 to South Africa, in their second match of the ongoing 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup on Wednesday afternoon at Stade Makis in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
As a result,, the Lionesses have now extended their winless streak against the Springbok Women to seven matches, with South Africa maintaining dominance in every encounter since 2019.
However, this outing marked a significant improvement for Samuel Odongo’s charges, who had previously suffered heavier defeats in their most recent encounters with South Africa.
In Stade Makis, the Springbok Women started on the front foot, maintaining pressure in the Kenyan half and capitalizing on early penalty advantages.
Just four minutes into the game, Aphiwe Ngwevu opened the scoring with a try, and Mary Zulu added the extras to give South Africa a 7-0 lead.
Following the early setback, Kenya began to build momentum and came close to scoring in the 15th minute.
Unfortunately, a misfired pass during an attacking move led to a missed opportunity. South Africa attempted a quick counterattack, but the Kenyan defense regrouped swiftly to deny further damage.
At a critical moment when Kenya was pressing deep in South African territory, Nombuyekezo Mdliki received a yellow card, reducing the Springboks to 14 players.
At the half-hour mark, the Lionesses were caught off guard again as Lerato Makua powered through a tackle to score South Africa’s second try. Zulu slotted the conversion, giving the Springboks a 12-0 lead at halftime.
Kenya Lionesses nearly make a comeback in the second half
The second half mirrored the first, with South Africa camping inside Kenya’s 22-meter line just ten minutes after the restart. However, Kenya’s resilient defense held firm and resisted further punishment.
Eventually, South Africa extended their lead through substitute Nobuhle Mjwara making only her second appearance for the national team who crossed the whitewash. Zulu successfully converted, pushing the lead to 19-0.
ALSO READ:Kenya Lionesses roar past Madagascar in dominant Rugby Africa Cup opener
Kenya responded through Freshia Odour, who made a dazzling run down the left flank after receiving a well-timed pass from Christabel Lindo.
Odour sprinted to the try line to get Kenya on the scoreboard, and Angela Juma nailed the conversion to bring the score to 19-7.
Moments later, Kenya closed the gap further. Substitute Noleen Khalenyi powered through some loose South African tackles to score another try. Although the conversion went wide, the deficit was reduced to 19-12.
Despite a spirited fightback, time was not on Kenya’s side as the final whistle blew with the Springboks narrowly edging them 19-12.
The Lionesses now turn their focus to their final tournament match against Uganda on June 15, as they continue their bid of qualification for the 2025 WXV2 tournament, a consolation after missing out on the 2024 World Cup
Kenya Lionesses vs South Africa h2h
- 17/08/2019: South Africa won 39-0 (Brakpan)
- 12/08/2021: South Africa won 66-0 (Stellenbosch)
- 16/08/2021: South Africa won 29-22 (Stellenbosch)
- 24/05/2023: South Africa won 48-0 (Antananarivo)
- 16/09/2023: South Africa won 77-12 (Cape Town)
- 08/05/2024: South Africa won 63-5 (Antananarivo)
- 11/06/2025: South Africa won 19-12 (Antananarivo)
Play here and stand a chance of winning the over 418 Million SportPesa Mega Jackpot
