Dubai Challenger Series: Familiar Faces As Kenya Sevens Shujaa Squad Is Unveiled

• Kenya's Sevens squad for the Dubai Challenger Series has been released
• Shujaa are confident in their preparations which included skills enhancing
• The Africans face Mexico, Uganda, and Germany in the preliminary rounds

Kenya Sevens head coach, Kevin 'Bling' Wambua, has revealed the squad that will compete in the upcoming Dubai leg of the Challenger Series, set to kick off on January 12.

The team features familiar faces from the triumphant 2023 Safari Sevens Tournament, with George 'Japolo' Ooro returning from injury, Brian Mutugi making a comeback after an impressive debut, and Vincent Onyala and Anthony Omondi continuing as co-captains.

The squad is aiming to build on the success of the Safari Sevens and hopes to secure a spot in the World Series.

Notable changes include the omission of Herman Humwa, while Kevin Wekesa, John Okoth, and Brian Tanga have retained their positions, as reported by Pulse Sports.

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Coach Wambua expressed confidence in the team's readiness despite missing the Dubai Sevens in December due to an administrative error.

He emphasised the productive training sessions leading up to the tournament, focusing on skill enhancement and refining attack and defence strategies.

"The competitive atmosphere within the squad has proven to be both robust and constructive. We have been pushing each team member to bring out their best and contribute to an overall improvement in team dynamics," Wambua said as quoted by The Star.

Shujaa is set to face Mexico, Uganda, and Germany in the preliminary rounds on January 12 and 13, with the knockout rounds scheduled for January 14.

Simultaneously, the Kenya Lionesses, coached by Dennis Mwanja, are gearing up for the tournament as they aim to qualify for the World Sevens Series.

Their opponents in the competition include China, the Czech Republic, and Mexico.

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Sports Brief also reported on the demise of Kenyan flanker, Anthony Oyugi on Sunday, January 7, 2024.

Impala RFC and the Kenya Rugby Union shared the sombre news on their respective social media handles.

Announcing Oyugi's demise and expressing sorrow, the club refrained from revealing his cause of death.