- The Kenya Lionesses kicked off the Safari 7s 2025 on a high note, overpowering Tunisia 34-7.
- The three-day tournament commenced on Friday evening, October 10, at Nyayo National Stadium.
- Defending champions Costa Blanca Barbarians started their title defense strongly, dismantling the Mwamba Ladies Select team 29-0.
The Kenya Lionesses, the women’s national sevens team, got their Safari 7s 2025 campaign off to a blazing start, shutting out Tunisia 34-7 in a Group B clash as the tournament got underway on Friday evening at Nyayo National Stadium.
The Lionesses seized the initiative from the opening whistle. Within two minutes, they were in control and crossed the line for a 5-0 lead as Janet Okello burst through on the right flank, outpacing the Tunisian defense to touch down in the corner; the subsequent conversion, however, sailed wide.
It didn’t take long for Simon Odongo’s squad to widen their advantage. Exploiting the same right corner, Edith Naliaka scored to push the lead to 10-0 in the first half, though the conversion attempt again missed its mark.
Okello then secured her second try of the day, stretching the lead to 15-0 as the Lionesses continued to dominate Tunisia’s right wing.
After the break, Naomi Amuguni extended the Lionesses’ lead, with Sinaida Mokaya successfully adding the extras. Shortly after the restart, Edith Naliaka powered over for her second try of the day, pushing Kenya to a commanding 27-0 lead.
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Faith Livoi then added another five-pointer for the home side, and with Moreen Muruti converting, Kenya led 34-0.
Tunisia managed to get themselves on the board with a converted try, but it was a mere consolation as the Lionesses sealed a massive 34-7 victory on day one.
Meanwhile, the defending champions, Costa Blanca Barbarians, began their quest to retain the title on a high note, defeating the Mwamba Ladies Select team 29-0 to make an early statement in Group A.
Costa opened the scoring with a try in the third minute, which was successfully converted. They found another gap just before halftime, extending their lead to 12-0 at the break.
The second half saw Costa continue their dominance, scoring immediately to make it 17-0. They surged ahead again to a 22-0 lead, and a final five-pointer from Olera Okena sealed a well-deserved 29-0 victory.
In other action, the women’s national second team, the Kenya Cubs, had a difficult start to the tournament, trailing 17-0 at halftime against the Shoguns.
The Shoguns dominated the second half to secure a 32-5 win, with the Cubs managing only a single try.
In another Group B match, the Uganda Cranes mounted a stunning comeback from a 10-0 deficit to defeat Belgium 12-10.
Sandra Amoli was the hero, scoring two tries-one converted – to hand Kenya’s neighbors their first win of the 2025 edition.
Safari 7s 2025: Results and Fixture
Women’s Day One Results
Pool A
- Costa Blanca Barbarians 29-0 Mwamba Select
- Shogun 32-5 Kenya Cubs
Pool B
- Uganda 12-10 Belgium
- Kenya Lionesses 34-7 Tunisia
Women’s Category Safari 7s 2025 Day Two Fixtures
Saturday (All times in EAT)
- Costa Blanca Barbarians vs Kenya Cubs – 10:00
- Shogun vs Mwamba Select – 10:22
- Uganda vs Tunisia – 10:44
- Kenya Lionesses vs Belgium – 11:06