Africa-Press – Kenya. Rising star David Nyangige has earned a call-up to the Kenya Sevens squad for the World Rugby Sevens Series Division Two, set to kick off on Saturday at Nyayo Stadium.
Nyangige’s inclusion comes after an impressive run of form, having caught the eye during last year’s Safari Sevens while turning out for the Morans.
The rookie has also impressed the technical bench in training over the past two months. Announcing the squad on Monday, head coach Kevin “Bling” Wambua said Nyangige will be a valuable addition as Shujaa look to make a strong start to the campaign.
“He impressed us in the various scrimmages we have had. We know his quality; he is an outstanding talent, and we believe he will bring his best over the weekend,” he said.
Wambua added that the team has come through an intense preparation phase and now needs to translate that work onto the pitch. “We have ticked all the boxes in training over the past two months. Now the boys need to believe in themselves and do the country proud in front of what we expect to be a sell-out stadium,” he said.
Shujaa held an early training camp in Cape Town, South Africa, last month before returning home for a final camp at the M-Pesa Academy in Thika last week.
According to Wambua, the Thika camp focused on fine-tuning team cohesion and opposition analysis. “The final camp was about aligning the team, strengthening team bonding and analysing the opponents we are going to face,” he noted.
Wambua has largely retained the core of last season’s squad, with co-captain George Ooro, Samuel Asati, Vincent Onyala, Kevin Wekesa and Nigel Amaitsa among those named in the final 12-man team. Shujaa will face the United States, Germany, Uruguay, Belgium and Canada in the two-day tournament.
Meanwhile, Lionesses head coach Simon Odongo has called up Marvel Oswago and Charity Nilah to his 13-player squad for the same event. The duo were part of the Kenya Cubs team that featured at last year’s Safari Sevens.
The Lionesses recently completed a one-week training camp in Alicante, Spain, which focused on sharpening fitness levels, building combinations and refining tactical systems. Odongo’s side will take on Spain, China, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil.
