Kenya Simbas hold off late Ugandan surge to keep Elgon Cup title
Kenya Simbas retained the Elgon Cup title with a narrow 27-25 victory over Uganda Cranes at Nairobi's RFUEA Grounds.
The Kenya Simbas retained their hold on the 2024 Elgon Cup title after narrowly defeating Uganda Cranes 27-25 in a tense match at RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi, on Saturday, 9 November. The Simbas defended the title they last claimed in November 2023 with a victory over Uganda in Kisumu.
Kenya started strong, breaking through Uganda’s defense with a try by Griffin Chao. Although the conversion missed, Kenya took an early 5-0 lead. Uganda soon responded but missed consecutive penalty attempts, allowing Kenya to maintain their lead. The Simbas capitalized on a powerful lineout play, with Misoga scoring Kenya’s second try and Timothy Omela converting to push the lead to 12-0.
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Uganda fought back, with Pius Ogena and Innocent Gwokto scoring tries to give Uganda a narrow 14-12 advantage by halftime. Early in the second half, Uganda extended their lead with a penalty, but Kenya soon reclaimed control. Brian Wahinya’s try, followed by Omela’s conversion, put Kenya ahead 19-17. Wahinya later scored again, stretching Kenya’s lead to 24-17.
Uganda remained relentless, scoring another try to close the gap, though missed conversions left Kenya narrowly ahead. Jone Kubu added a crucial penalty to extend Kenya’s lead to 27-22. Uganda added a penalty of their own, bringing the score to 27-25 in the final minutes, but the Simbas held firm.
This hard-earned win sends the Simbas into the second leg of the Victoria Cup in Uganda on Saturday, 16 November, with momentum on their side.
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