Louis Kisia, the head coach of Kenya Sevens Morans, is aiming high for the 2024 Rugby Africa 7s in Mauritius, setting his sights on winning the gold medal.
He expressed confidence in his squad during the announcement of the official Morans team, which includes seasoned players like Denis Abukuse, William Mwanji, and Festus Shiasi, who are making a return to the national team after their last appearance in Dubai’s Challenger Series.
Brian Mutua, a regular in the Shujaa team, will co-captain alongside Ben Salem.
“Our target in Mauritius is the gold medal. We want to replicate our performance from the 2023 Rugby Africa 7s tournament. The team understands our objective, and they are prepared to conquer Africa for the second consecutive year,” stated Louis Kisia, who also serves as the assistant coach for Shujaa.
Kisia emphasized that the team’s preparations have been rigorous and thorough in anticipation of the Africa tournament, reflecting their determination to achieve success on the continental stage.
“We’ve had sufficient preparations at Kasarani ahead of the Africa 7s this weekend thanks to KRU and NOCK for ensuring the Morans side trains with the Shujaa squad. We have had HP sessions led by the Kenya Sevens SnC Coach Andrew Amonde which have contributed heavily to our preparations for this tournament. We have received input from the head coach on our preparations and I believe the team is ready to roar in Mauritius,” said Louis Kisia.
Joel Inzuga, who last played for the Simbas, returns to the Kenya Sevens Morans squad alongside veterans Edmund Anya, Harmony Wamalwa, Elvis Olukuse, and Gabriel Ayimba, Benjamin Ayimba’s son, who previously featured in the Safari Sevens earlier this year.
The team, departing Thursday evening, will compete in Pool A with hosts Mauritius, Nigeria, and Madagascar at the 2024 Rugby Africa 7s in Mauritius. The sole addition to the squad is Victor “Mola” Odhiambo, previously sidelined by injury but now aiming to impress the Sevens technical bench in Mauritius.
The tournament spans two weekends, June 29-30 and July 6-7, 2024. Kenya’s first match is against hosts Mauritius at 10:50 am local time on Saturday, followed by Nigeria at 1:34 pm, and Madagascar at 4:18 pm to conclude their pool matches.
Full Morans squad to Mauritius
1. Brian Mutua (CC). 2. Ben Salem (CC). 3. William Mwanji. 4. Dennis Abukuse. 5. Elvis Olukusi. 6. Richard Liva. 7. Gabriel Ayimba. 8. Harmony Wamalwa. 9. Festus Shiasi. 10. Joel Inzuga. 11. Victor Odhiambo. 12. Edmund Anya.
Head Coach
Louis Kisia
Team Manager
Morgan Ngumbi
Physio
John Elly
