Kenya 7s suffered a heartbreaking 26–22 defeat to South Africa at Kai Tak Sports Park, conceding in the final seconds of a pulsating Hong Kong SVNS World Championship quarter-final, a result that knocked Shujaa out of the main cup contention.
Shujaa had come into the knockout tie buoyed by their 17–10 victory over USA that sealed passage from the pool stage, and they carried that belief into a high-tempo battle against one of the circuit’s most clinical sides.
South Africa struck first after sustained pressure inside Kenya’s 22, with Selvyn Davids sniping from the base of a scrum to score under the posts for a 7–0 lead. Kenya responded with purpose, using tactical kicks to pin their opponents back before opting for a scrum from a penalty. The move paid off as the ball was moved wide to John Okoth, who crossed for the equaliser.
Shujaa then edged ahead when Denis Abukuse sliced through the defence and raced clear for a converted try, giving Kenya a 12–7 lead. But the momentum shifted when Vincent Onyala was sent to the sin bin for contact in the air, allowing South Africa to capitalize through Donavan Don, whose try handed them a slender 14–12 lead at halftime.
Kenya came out strongly in the second half, with Samuel Asati orchestrating play and setting up Kevin Wekesa for a try that restored Shujaa’s advantage at 17–14. Moments later, South Africa were reduced to seven men after Davids was yellow-carded, and Kenya made the extra man count.
From a scrum, Asati picked and linked up with Festus Shiashi, who powered over to extend the lead to 22–14, putting Shujaa in control heading into the closing stages.
However, South Africa mounted a late comeback, with Quewin Nortje finishing off a well-executed kick-and-chase to narrow the gap to 22–21. With just seconds remaining, they secured possession from the restart and forced multiple penalties under pressure before substitute Siviwe Soyizwapi dived over for the decisive try, sealing a dramatic 26–22 win.
Shujaa will now shift focus to the 7th place playoff, where they face France at 7:51am as they look to finish their Hong Kong campaign on a positive note.
