Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater has expressed confidence in his squad ahead of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, highlighting that the team is in excellent physical and mental shape as they prepare to face Uganda in their opening match on Tuesday, July 8, at Mandela National Stadium.
Paarwater officially named the final Kenya Simbas 28-man squad on Tuesday morning following a high-intensity one-month High-Performance camp in South Africa, during which the team played nine competitive matches with various teams.
“The guys are looking well prepared and ready for the tournament in Uganda. We’re glad that we don’t have any serious injuries within the team. There have been a lot of lessons learned in South Africa and the players bonded very well with each other and this improves the teamwork both on and off the field,” Paarwater told KRU Media.
The final squad includes four new players Vincent Mwikhali, Patrick Sabatia, David Bunduki, and Samuel Ovwamu who made a strong impression during the South African tour.
“We are confident in the squad that has been selected and we are confident that we have selected the best team we have. The four new players will bring a fresh feel within the set up,” added team manager Jimmy Mnene.
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Kenya’s last match during the camp ended in a narrow 42-35 loss, but the experience is viewed as critical preparation for the knockout fixture against Uganda.
“We had better preparations in South Africa, and on a scale of 1 to 10, the team is at an 8, but we’re taking every game as a final,” Mnene stated.
The Simbas aim to build on their recent success against Uganda. In their last encounter during the Elgon Cup, Kenya secured a 48-30 aggregate victory (27-25 in the first leg and 21-5 in the second).
Andy Cole Omollo in action for Kenya Simbas against Uganda Rugby Cranes in Elgon. PHOTO/Malhon Lichuma
Despite coming agonizingly close in recent qualification campaigns often falling short against Namibia. Kenya Simbas are hopeful that this could be their breakthrough moment.
The winner of the Rugby Africa Cup 2025 will automatically qualify for the 2027 World Cup, while the runner-up will enter a global repechage tournament for a final chance to reach the world stage.
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