Shujaa Held 21-21 by Fast Forward 7s in Frustrating Safari Sevens Opener

Kenya's Shujaa made a frustrating start to their Safari Sevens title defense, settling for a 21-21 draw against South African invitational side Fast Forward 7s in their opening match at Nyayo National Stadium on Friday.

The hosts conceded two early tries and spent much of the match chasing the game, but rallied to salvage a share of the spoils. Nygel Amaitsa, Glacious Owino, and Elvis Olukusi crossed for Shujaa as they fought back from the early deficit to keep their campaign alive.

It was a day of mixed fortunes for the Kenyan sides. The second-string Kenya Morans made a far more convincing start, storming to a 40-12 win over Gel Squad 7s with six tries in an emphatic opening statement.

Shujaa return to action on Saturday with two pivotal fixtures — against Scotland at 12:37 pm and Uganda at 5:13 pm — and will need a sharper start and greater consistency across both halves to reach the knockout stages.

In the women's competition, the Kenya Lionesses opened with a 19-5 victory over their compatriots the Junior Lionesses and will look to extend their winning run against TUKS Women and Tunisia on Saturday.