- Kenya Lionesses advance to 2025 Africa Women’s 7s main cup semis with victory over Zimbabwe.
- They managed to beat Zimbabwe 33–12 in the quarterfinals on Sunday, November 16, at the RFUEA Grounds.
- Kenya Lionesses will now face the Uganda Lady Cranes in the semifinals.
The national rugby 7s team, Kenya Lionesses are through to the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s 7s main cup semifinals after a commanding 33-12 victory over Zimbabwe in the quarterfinals on Sunday morning at the RFUEA grounds in Nairobi.
This match marked the first time the hosts conceded points, following a flawless group stage performance where they topped their table without letting a single point slip past.
As a result, the Simon Odongo-led side has set up a thrilling East African derby in the Cup semifinals, where they will face the Uganda Lady Cranes later this afternoon.
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Kenya Lionesses advance to 2025 Africa Women’s 7s main cup semis
It took the Lionesses just two minutes to draw first blood.
After weathering an initial minute of Zimbabwean pressure, they secured the ball on the right wing, allowing Freshia Odour to collect it and sprint through for the opening score. The conversion went wide, leaving the score at 5-0.
Building on her impressive debut on Saturday, the fleet-footed Nelly Chikombe secured her third try of the tournament, extending the Lionesses’ lead. Grace Okulu’s successful conversion brought the score to 12-0.
On the right wing, Faith Livoi delivered a superb pass to Odour, who executed a brilliant move to slice through the Cheetahs’ defense.
Odour surged through for her second try of the day, stretching the Kenya Lionesses’ lead to 19-0 at halftime.
Zimbabwe was the first to breach the previously impenetrable Lionesses’ defense in the second half, a unit that had not conceded a single try all tournament.
Kudazai Wasili’s powerful sprint resulted in a try, narrowing the gap to 19-5.
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The Lionesses, however, quickly responded. Before being substituted, Odour completed her hat-trick with another try, pushing their advantage to 26-5.
A momentary defensive lapse from Kenya allowed the Cheetahs to capitalize, with Nokitenda Shoriwa scoring their second try to make it 26-12.
But it was Phoebe Akinyi, coming off the bench, who sealed the victory for the Lionesses.
She added the seven points to the scoreboard, finalizing the 33-12 win and securing their spot in the semifinals against the Uganda Lady Cranes.
Africa Women’s 7s 2025: Sunday, November 16 Fixtures & Results
Sunday
- 09:00 – Cup QF1: South Africa 48-00 Ghana
- 09:22 – Cup QF2: Madagascar 17-7 Zambia
- 09:44 – Cup QF3: Uganda 31-12 Tunisia
- 10:06 – Cup QF4: Kenya 33-12 Zimbabwe
- 10:28 – 9th Place SF1: Mauritius vs Egypt
- 10:50 – 9th Place SF2: Cote d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso
- 12:14 – Cup SF1: South Africa vs Madagascar
- 12:36 – Cup SF2: Kenya Lionesses vs Uganda Lady Cranes
- 12:58 – 11th Place Final
- 13:20 – 9th Place Final
- 15:00 – 7th Place Final
- 15:25 – 5th Place Final
- 15:54 – Bronze Medal Match
- 16:30 – Gold Medal Match