Shujaa hammer Germany to kick off Sao Paulo 7s with big win

Kenya Sevens made a strong start to their HSBC SVNS 2 campaign in Sao Paulo with a dominant 38-7 victory over Germany at Estádio Nicolau Alayon.

The win was important for Shujaa, who were looking to bounce back after losing to the same opponents last weekend.

It was also a perfect start as they push for promotion to the World SVNS Championship.

Germany took an early lead in the second minute when Jakob Dipper beat Festus Shiasi on the outside to score. The conversion was successful, giving them a 7-0 advantage.

Shujaa responded quickly. Samuel Asati sent in a well-placed kick that was collected by Patrick Odongo, who touched down to level the scores after the conversion. Kenya then took control of the match.

From the restart, Kevin Wekesa won the ball, allowing the team to build pressure before Shiasi found Vincent Onyala with a long pass for a try. Onyala added the conversion to give Kenya a 14-7 lead.

Kenya kept pushing and extended their advantage before halftime. Co-captain George Ooro set up Odongo, who used his speed to break through the defence and score his second try, making it 21-7 at the break.

In the second half, Shujaa stayed in control. They pinned Germany deep in their own half and forced a turnover. Onyala was again in the right place, diving over for another try to stretch the lead further.

The East Africans continued to dominate possession and used the width well. Ooro capped a fine performance with a try out wide to make it 31-7. Dennis Abukuse then sealed the emphatic win with a powerful run through the middle to score under the posts.

Even after Wekesa was sent to the sin bin for a short period, Shujaa remained calm and organized in defence to keep Germany from scoring again.

The victory marks a strong statement from Kenya as they look to finish in the top three and keep their promotion hopes alive.