Kenya Morans were forced to settle for fourth place at the Africa Men’s 7s after a narrow 21-19 loss to the Zimbabwe Cheetahs in the third-place playoff held in Mauritius.
Despite the loss, it was an improved outing compared to last year’s performance, with Morans finishing two places higher than their 2024 campaign.
Kenya Morans start
Seeking redemption after a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Madagascar, the Morans came out strongly and took a 12-0 lead into the break. Chrisant Ojwang opened the scoring after slicing through the Zimbabwe defence, though Jackson Siketi was off target with the conversion. Dennis Abukuse then showcased his blistering pace on the left wing to score Kenya’s second try.
Zimbabwe responded early in the second half with a converted try to cut the deficit to 12-7. Abukuse would once again rise to the occasion, racing clear for his second try of the match, which Siketi successfully converted to give Kenya a 19-7 lead.
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However, Edward Sigauke brought the Cheetahs back into contention with a breakaway try under the posts after outrunning Floyd Wabwire. The conversion brought the score to 19-14.
Kenya Morans mistake
In the dying seconds, Morans were penalized for wasting time on their attacking lineout, allowing Zimbabwe to mount one final attack.
Trevor Gurwe capitalized, crossing over to level the scores before calmly slotting the conversion to complete a stunning comeback and seal a 21-19 win for the Cheetahs.
2025 Rugby Africa Men’s 7s Day 2
Fixtures – Sunday, 22 June 2025 (All times in EAT)
• 8:00 AM – South Africa 26-0 Uganda
• 8:22 AM – Zimbabwe 36-0 Ghana
• 8:44 AM – Zambia 12-31 Madagascar
• 9:06 AM – Kenya 43-12 Nigeria
• 9:28 AM – Tunisia 29-22 Côte d’Ivoire
• 9:50 AM – Burkina Faso 24-12 Mauritius
• 11:07 AM – Uganda 47-7 Ghana
• 11:29 AM – Zambia 24-22 Nigeria
• 11:51 AM – South Africa 19-12 Zimbabwe
• 12:13 PM – Madagascar 14-12 Kenya
• 12:35 PM –Ivory Coast 0-24 Mauritius
• 12:57 PM – Tunisia 10-12 Burkina Faso
• 1:59 PM – 7th Place Final Ghana 12-19 Nigeria
• 2:24 PM – 5th Place Final Uganda 24-5 Zambia
• 2:53 PM – Bronze Final : Zimbabwe 21-19 Kenya
• 3:32 PM – Gold Final: South Africa vs Madagascar
