Shujaa were seven minutes away from delivering a shock victory over Fiji, but conceded two tries in the second half to agonisingly lose 14-21 in their second Perth 7s clash.
Kenya’s national sevens team Shujaa suffered a heartbreaking 21-14 defeat to Fiji in their second Pool C match of the Perth 7s on Friday. Despite a valiant effort, Joji Nasova’s brilliance proved decisive as Fiji edged out the Kenyan side in Australia.
Kenya began the game with intent, opening the scoring through Nygel Amaitsa, who latched onto a perfectly placed grubber to score. Amaitsa then converted his try to hand Shujaa a 7-0 lead.
Fiji, however, struck back almost immediately. Joji Nasova, who was a constant menace throughout the match, powered through the Kenyan defense to score, with the subsequent conversion leveling the game at 7-7.
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Kenya regained the lead before halftime when Edmund Asati crossed the whitewash, with Amaitsa adding the extras for a 14-7 advantage at the break.
Kenya returned for the second half braced for an intense contest and initially held their ground. They forced a scrum deep in Fiji’s half, raising hopes of extending their lead. However, a well-organized Fijian defense turned the tide, culminating in a lineout after Patrick Odongo was tackled out wide.
Fiji capitalized on a lapse in concentration from the Kenyan defense, with Joseva Talacolo slicing through to reduce the deficit to 14-12 following a brilliant pass from Teba.
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Mokoro is the fourth Kenyan to have dumped Kenya Cup rugby to pursue greener pastures in Romania, and all it took was one game for Quins against Mwamba in late 2023 for the opportunity to pop up.
The game’s pivotal moment came through Nasova once again. Evading Kenyan pressure with his quick footwork, he completed his hat-trick with a decisive try that put Fiji in control.
Despite a late surge by Kenya, Nasova capped his stellar performance with a crucial defensive stop, denying Amaitsa a near-certain try.
The loss leaves Kenya at the bottom of Pool C with a negative 22-point difference after consecutive losses to New Zealand and Fiji. They remain in ninth place in the overall standings with 11 points, trailing leaders Fiji by 25 points after three legs.
Shujaa now face a must-win game against surprise pool leaders Uruguay, who have emerged as the unexpected front-runners in the group.
While Kenya’s hopes of progressing to the main cup quarter finals may hang by a thread, their determination and resilience will be crucial as they aim to salvage pride in their remaining matches.
