Kenya Lionesses coach Dennis Mwanja cited Belgium, Poland, Argentina and South Africa as the teams to beat in the forth comimg Challenger Seven Series set for January.
Mwanja’s charges qualified for the Challenger Seven Series after finishing second to South Africa in the Africa Cup last weekend, where they lost 19-10 courtesy of a last minute try.
The Lionesses graced the Challenger Sevens Series this year but failed to make it to the final.
“We played this year and it was a baptism of fire for the girls. We have learnt our lessons and we have brought in fresh faces. Tactically, we are playing better rugby than we did 12 months ago,” he said.
Mwanja exuded confidence that the girls are ready to go toe to-toe with the big teams.
“We played Belgium, Poland and Argentina last year and we had relative success against them. We lacked consistency in our performances but this time, we are ready to go all out to make the final four and hopefully qualify to become a core side.”
Mwanja appealed to sponsors and corporates to come on board to support the girls.
Sources close to Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) have intimated that they have found a sponsor for the team.
“This is a big boost in our campaign to qualify for the World Seven Series. One of the biggest challenges we have faced is finances and we are crossing our fingers that a sponsor comes on board. The girls have worked tirelessly to get where they are and we are hungry for more success,” Mwanja said.
On the pitch, Mwanja believes the girls have found the confidence and tactical nous and will be back at their best.
“At the Africa Cup, we struggled and combinations were not working. Remember, we brought some girls who were playing in the United States during the Serengeti 10-a-side and they had not gelled with the local girls on day one. On day two, we showed our prowess and were able to finish second,” he said.
The KCB assistant coach said it was only a matter of time before they beat powerhouses South Africa, who beat them for the second year running.
“The margins in Sevens are very small and the final would have gone either way. I believe we have earned their respect and very soon we will topple them,” he said.
In the continental showpiece, Kenya beat Mauritius 61-0, Ghana 10-5 and Madagascar 22-17 to top Pool ‘B’.
In the quarterfinals, they
demolished Ghana 48-0 to set
up as semifinal meeting with
Uganda, where they won 19-0 to
reach the final.
