Kenya Simbas knock out Uganda to reach Rugby Africa Cup Semifinals

Kenya Simbas booked their spot in the semifinals of the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup after a thrilling 32-24 victory over rivals Uganda at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Tuesday.

In a match full of energy and drama, the Simbas overcame a late comeback attempt by the hosts to claim the hard-fought win and move one step closer to qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Kenya started strongly, showing confidence and pace from the opening whistle. Griffin Chao opened the scoring for the visitors with a brilliant try down the left wing to give Simbas a 5-0 lead. Barry Young followed it up with a second try, converted by Jone Kubu, to stretch the lead to 12-0.

Uganda responded through Aaron Ofoyrwoth, whose try and Joseph Aredo’s conversion cut the gap to 12-7 before halftime.

In the second half, Young added a drop goal to extend Kenya’s lead to 15-7. Aredo again kept Uganda close with a penalty (15-10), but the Simbas pushed back with power and speed.

Captain George Nyambua crashed over for Kenya’s third try after a strong scrum, and Chao returned to score his second of the day, stretching Kenya’s lead to 29-10. The Ugandan crowd fell silent.

However, the hosts weren’t done. Former Kabras Sugar star Philip Wokorach scored a try and added a conversion (29-17), and moments later, a quick chip-and-chase led to Byron Oketayot grounding another try for Uganda (29-24).

With pressure mounting, Barry Young stepped up again with a crucial drop goal to take the score to 32-24 and seal the win for the Simbas.

Kenya will now face Zimbabwe in the semifinals. Zimbabwe reached the last four after beating Morocco 43-8. In the other quarterfinals, Namibia thrashed Senegal 55-17, and Algeria stunned Ivory Coast 41-6.

The winner of the Rugby Africa Cup will qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.