Shujaa will now face New Zealand on Sunday in the ninth-place playoff at 9:14 am, a rematch of their earlier group-stage clash.
Kenya 7s win
Coming off a strong start, Shujaa opened Day 2 with a win over Uruguay and aimed to maintain their momentum in this match to secure the best possible finish after missing out on the Cup quarterfinals.
It was the USA who struck first, with Adam Channel scoring the opening try. Marcus Tupuola added the extras for a 7-0 lead after just four minutes.
Shujaa responded quickly, as speedster Patrick Odongo crossed the try line to level the scores at 7-7 after Anthony Mboya successfully converted in the sixth minute.
Before halftime, George Ooro Angeyo powered through to score Kenya’s second try, giving them a 12-7 lead heading into the break, though the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
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In the second half, Shujaa extended their advantage when Ooro bagged his second try of the match. A successful conversion pushed the scoreline to 19-7.
The USA fought back with a try from Channel, narrowing the gap to 19-14. However, Floyd Wabwire responded for Kenya, scoring a crucial try that, along with Nygel Amaitsa’s conversion, stretched the lead to 26-14.
The USA managed one final try through Faitala Talapusi, reducing the deficit to 26-21, but Shujaa held on to secure the win.
Kenya will now look to build on this performance as they prepare for their Sunday showdown with New Zealand in the ninth-place playoff.
