South Africa have clinched the title of Africa 7s Champions and secured a spot in the Olympics after a closely contested match against the Kenya Lionesses, ending with a score of 12-7 in their favour.
This victory marks a significant achievement for South Africa, as they had previously missed out on the 2016 and 2020 Olympics despite being champions.
South Africa now head to Olympics
This was due to the South African Olympic Committee’s policy of not allowing their teams to accept Olympic tickets through continental qualifiers.
Kenya Lionesses Christabel Lindo in action against South Africa. Photo Courtesy/KRU.
Both teams had been in excellent form throughout the competition, with each winning all of their opening four matches. In the semi-finals, Kenya Lionesses triumphed over Uganda with a 27-0 score, while South Africa defeated Zambia with a score of 31-0.
The match saw South Africa dominating the Lionesses’ territory for much of the first half but struggling to breach Kenya’s staunch defence.
They finally managed to break through in the dying minutes of the first half when Nadine Roos scored in the left corner, giving South Africa a 5-0 lead.
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The Lionesses had their chance to advance into South Africa’s half and succeeded in putting points on the board. Sharon Auma, on the left wing, made a remarkable cut inside and sliced through a defense of four markers, scoring a try that was successfully converted, bringing the score to 7-5.
Late in the second half, Maria Tshiremba outpaced Kenyan defenders to score a try that was converted, securing South Africa’s victory.
Kenya Lionesses duo celebrate. Photo Courtesy/KRU
They now join France, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Ireland, Brazil, and Great Britain at the next Olympics.
The Kenya Lionesses finished as runners-up and will participate in a repechage tournament next year, aiming to secure qualification for the Paris Olympics.
In the third-place match, the Uganda Lady Cranes 7s secured a 29-10 victory over Zambia, earning them the bronze medal and a spot in the Repechage Qualifier Tournament in France next year.
