The Kenya National men’s Rugby 15s team, the Simbas, have been eliminated from the Rugby Africa Cup after losing 20-12 to Algeria on Wednesday, 24 July, at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole.
This defeat marks the end of the road for the Simbas in the tournament. They had previously defeated Algeria in the 2022 semi-finals.
The Simbas missed crucial attacking line-outs but fought on to score through vice-captain Eugene Sifuna, who scored a try from close range after a ruck just before the try line. Okwemba added the extras, giving the Simbas a 7-3 lead.
Algeria pulled back in style as Fares Leulmi Pierre Boulkenafet sidestepped his marker and released the ball to Thomas Patrick Lacroix, who scored for an 8-7 lead.
The Simbas responded with an impressive solo effort by Beldad Ogeta, who beat several markers to touch down and reclaim a 12-8 lead.
In the second half, Caminati drilled in two penalties to give Algeria a 14-12 lead. Although Algeria had several chances to push forward, they failed to capitalize on their opportunities to score another try. Just before the 70th minute, Caminati drilled in two more penalties, securing a 20-12 win.
This performance was a drop from their 2022 Rugby Africa Cup semi-final, where the Simbas won 36-33 in France to reach the final.
They lost to Namibia in the finals, granting the Southern African nation a ticket to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
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