Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, the Morans, have been handed a familiar challenge after being drawn alongside Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Morocco in Pool C of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Championship set for June 20 in Cascavelle, Mauritius.
The draw has immediately reignited memories of last year’s tournament, where Zimbabwe broke Kenyan hearts with a dramatic 21-19 victory in the third-place playoff. That defeat denied the Morans a podium finish and left them fourth overall despite one of their strongest performances in recent years.
Kenya entered the 2025 championship as one of the surprise packages of the competition. The Morans topped their preliminary pool before seeing off Nigeria in the quarterfinals to book a place in the last four. Their title ambitions were halted by eventual finalists Madagascar in a tightly contested semifinal before Zimbabwe edged them in the bronze-medal match.
Now, the two rivals are set to cross paths once again, this time in the pool stage of the continental showpiece. The clash is expected to be one of the standout matches of the opening day as Kenya looks to settle old scores and secure a favourable route to the knockout rounds.
The Morans will open their campaign against Burkina Faso at 8:00 am East Africa Time before taking on Morocco at 10:44 am. Their final pool fixture comes against Zimbabwe at 2:12 pm, a match that could determine the group winner and the momentum heading into the knockout stages.
Pool C appears evenly balanced, but Zimbabwe will enter the competition with confidence after last year’s podium finish. Morocco and Burkina Faso, meanwhile, will be aiming to upset the established contenders and secure a place in the latter stages of the tournament.
Elsewhere, defending champions South Africa headline Pool A alongside Zambia, Nigeria, and hosts Mauritius. Pool B features Madagascar, Uganda, Ghana and Tunisia, with several teams hoping to challenge for continental honours.
For Kenya, the tournament presents an opportunity to build on the progress shown in 2025 and return to Africa’s sevens elite. With a talented squad and unfinished business against Zimbabwe, the Morans will be determined to make a statement in Mauritius and launch a serious bid for the continental crown.
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