Kenya dismantles Côte d'Ivoire in Rugby Africa Sevens opener
Kenya Sevens kicked off their Rugby Africa Sevens campaign in style with a dominant 38-0 win over Côte d'Ivoire. The youthful side, guided by coach Louis Kisia, combined early attacking flair with disciplined execution to set the tone for their tournament ambitions.
Kenya Sevens, playing as the Morans, made a powerful statement in their opening match of the Rugby Africa Sevens, dismantling Côte d'Ivoire 38-0 in a one-sided affair.
The Morans set the tone early, with Floyd Wabwire sprinting down the wing to open the scoring. Siketi added the extras for a 7-0 lead. Moments later, Wabwire struck again, this time without a successful conversion, pushing the score to 12-0.
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Coach Louis Kisia praised his team’s discipline and adherence to the game plan, saying, “Our major focus today was Côte d'Ivoire. We did our homework and the boys took to the pitch and executed the plan that we had agreed upon.”
Dennis Abukuse added a third try, converting it himself to send Kenya into the break with a commanding 19-0 advantage. The strong start reflected a clear internal benchmark set by the technical bench.
"We always have a saying that we only want to score at least three tries in the first half," Kisia noted. “That happened.”
After halftime, debutant Matoka made an immediate impact, diving over under the posts, though the conversion attempt was off target. The Morans continued their onslaught, crossing over twice more, the final try courtesy of Felix Okoth, which Matoka converted to wrap up a convincing 38-0 win.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Kisia emphasized development within the squad: “Morans are a young team, but we mixed them with a bit of experience just to give them morale and boost them when they play in such tournaments.”
With Côte d'Ivoire behind them, the team now shifts its sights to the next opponent. “Now our main focus goes to the next game against Ghana,” the coach added. “We'll sit down, let the boys relax, take the videos, have a look, do our analysis, then take to the field again.”
The Morans will be looking to build on this dominant performance as they continue their journey in the Rugby Africa Sevens.
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