Shujaa's Kevin Wekesa banking on Cape Town 7s experience to climb HSBC Sevens ranking

Kenya Shujaa's Kevin Wekesa believes the team is on an upward trajectory following a commendable 7th-place finish at the recently concluded Cape Town 7s in South Africa.

The Kevin Wambua-coached side showcased a blend of youthful energy and seasoned expertise, an approach that Wekesa says is proving effective.

“The mix of young players and a few experienced players is really good for us. The young players are stepping up and learning day by day," said Wekesa as per Citizen Digital.

I believe as we go further in the series, they will gain more experience to help the team. We will keep improving," he added.

Shujaa's campaign in Cape Town was a step up from their 10th-place finish in Dubai. They capped off the tournament with a dominant 32-17 victory over Great Britain, demonstrating their potential.

Earlier, they had narrowly lost 26-14 to Argentina in the 5th-place playoff, signaling a mixed but promising performance overall.

In the pool stage, Shujaa opened with a hard-fought 19-12 win over Australia but later fell 14-7 to Spain, reflecting their potential marred by inconsistency yet again.

With the series now on a break until late January 2025, Shujaa will head to Perth, Australia, for the third leg of the season. The team's primary goal is to secure a top-eight finish to avoid relegation after reclaiming their spot among the elite teams following a season in the second tier.

The journey ahead is challenging, but Wekesa is optimistic with the team's growing cohesion, Shujaa looks poised to make significant strides in the Series.