Impala lock Leon Onduso is hoisted during a line-out against Daystar Falcons in a past Kenya Cup match/HANDOUTImpala Sevens head coach Anthony Nyandigisi believes his young squad can ruffle the feathers of the big guns ahead of the SportPesa National Sevens Circuit, which kicks off this Saturday with the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru.
Nyandigisi, who took charge of the team for his first managerial assignment at the Ruff and Tuff Sevens two weeks ago, is confident that his rebuilt side can hold their own across the six-leg series.
"It's a young squad and we are in transition," Nyandigisi said. "We have lost a good chunk of players, but we have recruited well with promising young talent. This will help us not only in the shorter version of the game, but in the 15s version as well."
Impala faces a tough test in Pool D alongside Menengai Oilers, Nakuru RFC, and Blak Blad in Nakuru this weekend.
"It's a tough pool facing well-established, robust teams," noted Nyandigisi. "However, the nature of sevens is that the bounce of the ball can favor anyone. The boys are up to the challenge despite what the naysayers might say, and we will prove people wrong over the course of the circuit."
Impala endured a difficult outing at the Ruff and Tuff tournament, suffering a 29-0 loss to Nakuru, a 52-0 defeat to Mwamba, and a 24-7 loss against Daystar Falcons. However, Nyandigisi remains unfazed by those results.
"It was a pre-season tournament where we were trying out different combinations," he observed. "With two training sessions left, I now know the makeup of my team heading into the first tournament."
The tactician also expects veterans Quinto Ongo, Israel Soi, and Derrick Kinyari to feature later in the series.
"They won't be available for the first two legs because they only resumed training a fortnight ago, but they will join the team by the third leg," he explained.
The Ngong Road-based club went on a signing spree during the recent mid-season transfer window, bringing in 28 new players to strengthen both their 7s and 15s rosters.
"We have bolstered our squad in readiness for the 15s season, and some of those new signings will play a key role in sevens," Nyandigisi stated.
Key additions to the squad include Benjamin Opar and Denzel Juma from Kisumu RFC, Evans Asena from Homeboyz RFC, and Lincoln Agade from Blak Blad, among others.
