The men’s national sevens team, Shujaa, had to dig deep to overcome a fierce Zimbabwe side in the Safari 7s 2025 cup semifinals, securing their place in the final where they will face Shogun this evening at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Early defensive lapses in the first half allowed the Cheetahs to build a seemingly comfortable lead of 19-10 shortly after the break.
However, Kevin Wambua’s charges mounted a stunning comeback to snatch a 29-19 victory, setting up a rematch of the 2024 final against runners-up Shogun, who edged out the Kenya Morans 12-14 in another thrilling semifinal.
Safari 7s Men’s Category Semifinal Recap
Speedster Patrick Odongo opened the scoring just one minute into the match, finishing a brilliant offload from Samwel Asati for a 5-0 lead.
Festus Shiasi then capitalized on a gap in the Zimbabwean defense on the left wing, sprinting to the corner to extend Shujaa’s advantage to 10-0.
Zimbabwe responded through Carlos Matamatema, who powered through tackles from George Ooro and Shiasi to put his team on the board at 10-7. Edward Sigauke then seized the lead for Zimbabwe just before halftime with a try, making it 12-10.
A defensive error two minutes into the second half saw Zimbabwe capitalize with another try, surging to a 19-10 lead.
Even after being reduced to six men, Zimbabwe held firm, but George Ooro eventually broke through to narrow the deficit to 19-15.
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Following the kick-off, Nygel Amaitsa crossed the line, putting Shujaa ahead 22-19 in a fiery and tense contest where the next score would be decisive.
Shujaa held their nerve, completing the comeback from their first-half upset. Vincent Onyala sealed the win, slicing through the Zimbabwean defense after another superb offload from Asati to give Kevin Wambua’s squad a hard-fought 29-19 victory.
In the other semifinal, Shogun Rugby struck first after the Morans failed to tackle Francisco, who went over for a converted try and a 7-0 lead.
Despite being awarded a yellow card, which gave the Morans a one-man advantage, Shogun’s defense held strong. The Morans’ task was further complicated when Brian Mutua was sent to the sin bin, reducing them to six men.
Shogun continued their dominance in the second half, extending their lead to 14-0 just three minutes after the restart.
The Morans struggled to penetrate Shogun’s 22-meter line until Rayvon Ambale sparked a revival, scoring and converting a try to exploit a temporarily shorthanded Shogun, cutting the lead to 14-7.
Despite a late effort from Victor Mola, the Morans could not find the equalizing score, and Shogun held on for a narrow 14-12 win to advance to the final.
Safari 7s 2025 – Final Day Schedule
Men – Main Cup Quarterfinals Results
- Shogun 31-5 French Renegades
- Morans 21-19 UK Select
- KCB 10-19 Zimbabwe
- Shujaa 40-0 Nyati
Men – Semifinals
- Shogun Rugby 14-12 Kenya Morans
- Shujaa 29-19 Zimbabwe
Men – Main Cup Final
16:48: Shujaa vs Shogun Rugby