Kenya Lionesses suffer narrow 5-0 defeat to Argentina in Nairobi

Kenya Lionesses and Shujaa fans cheer during the 2026 HSBC SVNS Division Two at Nyayo Stadium on February 15, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenya Lionesses lost their third match at the ongoing 2026 Nairobi HSBC SVNS Division Two tournament after going down 5-0 to Argentina at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday morning.

Played in a round-robin format, the top four teams at the end of the Nairobi, Montevideo, Uruguay (March 21–22) and São Paulo, Brazil (March 28–29) legs will qualify for the SVNS World Championship, where they will face Division One’s top eight sides for a place in the 2027 season.

The Lionesses began the match poorly after Grace Adhiambo’s kick-off was ruled offside, surrendering possession to the South Americans. Argentina capitalised on the advantage and scored an early unconverted try through Marianela Escalante to take a 5-0 lead.

Trailing in front of their fans, the Lionesses showcased their physicality with big defensive plays over the next five minutes, blocking and tackling to prevent the Argentines from breaching the Kenyan 22.

Despite winning possession numerous times and playing three minutes after the hooter, poor ball handling and movement saw the Lionesses fail to capitalise as Argentina held on for a 5-0 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Lionesses secured the Argentine restart. After a series of swift passes, Adhiambo released Edith Nariaka, who broke through the defensive line but was chased down before reaching the try line and lost the ball.

The next five minutes saw both sides exchange possession, but neither could find a breakthrough. Argentina held on to secure a narrow 5-0 win, their fourth in Nairobi.

On Saturday, Kenya lost to China and South Africa, with their only victory coming against Brazil.