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Kenya Morans got their Safari Sevens campaign off to an impressive start with a convincing 40-17 victory over Gel Sevens as the opening day of the tournament delivered plenty of action at Nyayo National Stadium on Friday.
The Morans, Kenya’s second national men’s team, showed their attacking strength to overcome their opponents, with debutants playing a key role in the big win.
Mike Lukusi opened the scoring after picking the ball from a scrum before setting up Dennis Ndayala Livoi for the second try. Lukusi then took a quick penalty to score his second try and give the Morans a 17-0 lead.
Gel 7s fought back with two quick tries to reduce the gap to 17-12, but Livoi completed his brace to restore the Morans’ control.
Debutants Lucky Onyango and Brighton Omondi also crossed the line to extend the lead to 40-12. Gel’s Marco Jones scored his second try late in the match, but it was not enough to stop the Morans from registering an impressive opening victory.
Defending champions Shujaa, meanwhile, were forced to settle for a dramatic 21-21 draw against SportPesa Fast Forward, ending their remarkable 23-match winning streak at the Safari 7s.
The result was the first time Shujaa failed to win a match at the tournament since 2021 and the first time under head coach Kevin Wambua that the national team had been held to a draw in the competition.
Fast Forward stunned the champions with two early tries to take a 14-0 lead, exposing gaps in the Kenyan defence.
George Ooro helped Shujaa get back into the contest with a strong run that set up Nygel Amaitsa for a converted try before halftime.
Fast Forward extended their advantage to 21-7 after the break, leaving the champions facing an uphill task.
Substitute Glacious Owino reduced the deficit with a try from a scrum before Elvis Olukusi powered over late in the match to level the scores at 21-21.
Shujaa had a chance to snatch victory but failed to make the most of their late advantage, ending the match with a draw that served as a warning to the defending champions.