Kenya 7s have booked a place in the Singapore 7s final after edging out Spain 12-5 in a tense semi-final clash at the Singapore National Stadium.
The win sets up a final showdown at 2:41 PM East African Time against the winner of the second semi-final between World 7s Series Champions Argentina and Fiji.
Kenya 7s back in final
This marks 3,276 days since Shujaa last lifted the Singapore 7s title in 2016, and they showcased a resolute defensive display to eliminate the Spaniards, restricting them to just two entries into Kenya’s 22-meter area.
Heading into this clash, Kevin Wambua’s charges were looking to complete a double over Spain, having beaten them 19-0 in the Hong Kong 7s opener last weekend.
Patrick Odongo sparked the Kenyan attack with an early line break, racing through to score the opening try. Nygel Amaitsa added the extras to give Shujaa a 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game.
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Spain’s Francisco Cosculluela was sent off late in the first half, and Kenya capitalized on the numerical advantage. Opting for a scrum deep in Spain’s red zone, Shujaa moved the ball swiftly to the right flank where a long pass found Odongo, who sprinted down the wing to touch down in the corner for his second try.
Amaitsa’s conversion attempt from the right side hit the upright, denying Kenya a 14-point cushion.
Spain pushed back with intensity in the second half but were hampered by errors and decisions that didn’t go their way.
In the dying minutes, a miscue by Brian Tanga in Kenya’s 22 gifted Spain possession, and Pol Pla went over for a try. However, the conversion was missed, leaving the score at 12-5.
Spain regained possession shortly after, setting up a tense finale as they searched for a converted try to force extra time.
But Kenya held firm, eventually winning a crucial penalty. Jone Kubu booted the ball into touch to seal the hard-fought win and send Shujaa into the final.
