Kenya Lionesses dream of qualifying for the 2027 HSBC SVNS 3 came to a heartbreaking end after neighbours Uganda Lady Cranes scored a late try to stun them 19–14 in the 2026 Africa Women’s 7s semifinal on Sunday.
The Lionesses had clung to a nerve-racking 14–12 lead even after the hooter had sounded, needing to hold firm to book their place in the final at the RFUEA Grounds.
However, Peace Lekuru dotted down in the dying seconds before the converted try sent Uganda through.
As a result, with the global showpiece now out of reach, the Lionesses will head home with valuable lessons to reflect on and flaws to rectify. The same opponents they had defeated at the Safari 7s four weeks ago returned to haunt them, handing Kenya their first defeat to Uganda since 2023.
Uganda made a bright start and quickly put the Lionesses under pressure. Tina Okello crossed the whitewash for the opening try before adding the extras to give the Lady Cranes a 7-0 advantage.
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The Ugandans continued to dictate the early exchanges, with Peace Lekuru extending their lead through a second try to put Kenya in a difficult position.
However, the Lionesses responded positively and began finding their rhythm. Freshia Oduor gave the hosts a lifeline after breaking through Uganda’s defensive line to score Kenya’s opening try. The successful conversion brought the score closer and gave the Kenyan side renewed belief heading into the remainder of the contest.
Kenya carried that momentum into the second half and produced a well-worked move from a scrum to turn the game around.
Sinaida Mokaya showed good awareness to release Janet Okello with a timely pass, allowing the latter to cross the line for Kenya’s second try. The conversion was successful, handing the Lionesses a 14-12 lead and putting them in a promising position to book their place in the final.
With time running out, Coach Odongo’s side appeared to have done enough to hold on to their advantage. However, Uganda refused to surrender and continued searching for an opportunity to turn the game around.
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The Lady Cranes won a series of crucial penalties in the closing moments, keeping the Kenyan defence under immense pressure.
Lekuru then took matters into her own hands, quickly tapping from a penalty before powering through the Lionesses’ defence to score her second try of the afternoon.
She stepped up to convert the try, completing a dramatic turnaround and sending Uganda into the final with a 19-14 victory.
The defeat was a painful setback for the Lionesses, who had fought their way back into the contest after falling 12 points behind. Their inability to withstand Uganda’s late pressure ultimately proved costly.
Meanwhile, Tunisia secured the other place in the final after defeating Zimbabwe 22-10 in the second semi-final.
Zimbabwe made a promising start, with Chiwoniso Mabika crossing for the opening try. However, Tunisia responded through Sameh Lehwel before Korbi Yassmine added another try to give them a 10-5 advantage at the break.
Zimbabwe fought back in the second half, with Robyn Mhembere scoring to level the contest at 10-10.
Tunisia, however, regained control when Nour Ayari crossed for another try before Zahra Haddaji added the final try to seal a 22-10 victory.
The result set up a final showdown between Uganda and Tunisia, while Zimbabwe and Kenya were left to contest the third-place playoff.