Heartbreak as Shujaa fall short against Fiji in Singapore Sevens final

Shujaa succumbed to a dominant second-half display from Fiji, losing 21-12 in the 2025 Singapore Sevens final on Sunday.

Kenya had taken a 7-0 lead late in the first half after Nygel Amaitsa chased down a clever kick from Vincent Onyala to score, before converting his own try. It was a moment of promise, sparking hopes of a repeat of their famous 30-7 win over Fiji in the 2016 final at the same venue.

Before that breakthrough, Shujaa had defended with discipline to contain the Fijians, who had impressed all tournament with their defence-splitting offloads. Kenya had a golden opportunity after Fiji were reduced to six men in the fourth minute, when captain Sevuloni Mocenacagi was sent to the sin bin. However, despite the numerical advantage, they struggled to break through until Amaitsa’s moment of brilliance.

But the tide turned after the break. Fiji responded with three unanswered tries - two from Vuiviwa Naduvalo and one from Rauto Vakadranu. Conversions by Sakiusa Siqila, Manueli Maisamoa, and Filipe Sauturaga saw them not only level but stretch into a 21-7 lead, extending their winning streak against Kenya to 14 matches since 2018.

Shujaa managed a late consolation through William Mwanji, but it came too late to mount a comeback.

Despite the defeat, Kenya can take heart from a spirited performance as they look ahead to the promotion-relegation play-offs in Los Angeles, set for 3–4 May.