Kenya’s national seven-a-side team, Shujaa on Saturday returned to winning ways after the boys endured a challenging start to their Hong Kong Sevens campaign on Friday, April 17, falling short in both of their opening pool matches against Australia and New Zealand.

Shujaa beat United States 17-10 to advance to Quarters where they face South Africa.

Friday was hectic. Facing Australia in their first outing, Kevin Wambua's Shujaa struggled to impose themselves early and went into halftime trailing 14-0. The Australians capitalized on defensive lapses and controlled possession, limiting Kenya’s attacking opportunities. However, the second half showed a marked improvement. Dennis Abukuse struck immediately after the restart, crossing over to ignite hopes of a comeback. Kenya’s defense tightened significantly, disrupting Australia’s rhythm and turning the contest into a more balanced affair, though the early deficit ultimately proved too large to overturn.

The second fixture against New Zealand presented a similarly stern test. Once again, Shujaa found it difficult to gain a foothold in the opening half, with the All Blacks Sevens dictating play. Kenya’s breakthrough came late in the first period when Kevin “Yokoh” Wekesa sliced through the defense to score, offering a glimpse of attacking promise.

After the break, Nygel Amaitsa added a well-executed try under the posts and calmly converted to reduce the deficit. Despite increased intensity and improved structure, Shujaa were unable to sustain pressure or add further points. New Zealand maintained control to close out a 28-12 victory.

While there were encouraging moments, particularly in second-half performances, the lack of consistency and slow starts proved costly for the Kenyan side. Shujaa will now look to regroup quickly as they prepare to face the United States on Saturday at 8:24 a.m., needing a strong response to revive their tournament hopes.