Kenya Lionesses' head coach Dennis Mwanja has made three changes to the squad ahead of Friday's test match against Madagascar at the RFUEA ground.
Mwanja has called up Ann Njeri, Diana Mideva, and Sheila Wesa for the encounter. The team is eyeing revenge on the Indian Ocean Islanders after losing 29-22 during the Africa Cup in Madagascar in May.
Mwanja said the trio have excelled in training for the past month and are expected to add impact from the bench in what is shaping out to be a competitive test.
“They put their hand up for training recently and I am confident they will add value to the team not only for the match but going forward," he noted.
Also included in the squad are Sevens side players—Edith Nariaka, Grace Okulu and Sinaida Mokaya— who missed the Africa Cup due to commitments with the Sevens side in the Challenger Series.
“They bring an x-factor to the side as well as experience,” he observed.
The KCB assistant coach said game management will be vital if the hosts are to secure a win against their opponents.
"One of the biggest lessons we learnt from the last match against them was game management. We must play in the right areas of the pitch and manage the clock. The players know if we manage the game well, we will come out victorious” said Mwanja.
The key for the team will be to win the breakdown and contact areas in the encounter. "Physically, we can impose ourselves due to our size and strength in collisions and win the battle of the breakdown," he added.
Skipper Sheila Chajira called on home fans to turn up in large numbers for the match. “We are asking the fans to turn up and cheer us to victory. The girls have trained well and are ready for battle," she said.
Mwanja hopes the girls could play more test matches in future in readiness for the next World Cup cycle.
“The more games we play, the sharper the girls become. We have asked the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) to grant us quality build-up matches to enable the girls to be in the best shape for the World Cup qualifiers," he added.
Madagascar is using the match as a build-up for the WXV 3 tournament in the UAE later this month.
