Kenya under-20 scrumhalf Michael Lukusi passes the ball during a training session in Kampala/HANDOUT
Mental fortitude and tactical adjustments proved decisive as Kenya Under-20 reclaimed the Barthes Cup with a commanding 33-14 victory over Namibia in Kampala.
Against the odds, Simon Jawichre’s charges produced a dominant display in the final to win a tournament few had tipped them to conquer, completing an impressive campaign despite limited preparation.
Kenya had only nine training sessions between July and August, compared with Zimbabwe and Namibia, who spent two months training in South Africa ahead of the event. Jawichre, however, believes the players’ mentality and unity helped bridge the gap.
“The boys fought hard and bonded very well in the training sessions and took ownership of the team from the time we landed and just enjoyed themselves on the pitch,” said Jawichre.
The coach also credited tactical adjustments and the experience gained by several players in senior competitions for Kenya’s success. “We made tactical tweaks, knowing our strengths. We had a solid set of forwards and the X-factor in the backs. Remember, most of our players played in the Kenya Cup, ESS and a few in the Championship. That helped us greatly for this campaign,” he added.
Jawichre now wants Kenya to build on the triumph by introducing a Super Series Under-20 competition to provide a stronger pathway for emerging players. “We need to build on that. There is enough talent, but it needs to be harnessed and ensure these players play competitive rugby against their peers,” he said.
Kenya Under-20 captain Justin Ngombe said Chipu remained composed despite Namibia’s strong challenge. “The Namibians came hard at us, but we managed to control the game. We didn’t expect that they would be this tough, considering that they didn’t play particularly well against Tunisia in the semi-finals,” said Ngombe.
Chipu established a commanding 14-0 lead at half-time before maintaining their control after the break. Michael Lukusi, hooker Jibril Lugonzo, winger Brian Kiptanui, centre Rayvon Ambale and replacement forward Randy Outuma scored a try each for Kenya, as Namibia replied through Nzola Nkunku and Ethan Sinden.
The victory capped a remarkable tournament for Kenya, who had opened their campaign with a 35-21 victory over Zimbabwe on Friday. The result also cemented Chipu’s status as the most successful side since the Barthes Cup was rebranded in 2016. Kenya have now won the competition four times, following previous triumphs in 2019, 2021 and 2024.
Zimbabwe finished third after beating Tunisia 38-12 in the bronze-medal match. For Jawichre, the title should serve as a springboard for a more structured development pathway, with regular Under-20 competition crucial to ensuring players emerging from the Under-16 and Under-18 levels continue to develop.
The challenge now is to ensure Chipu’s latest triumph is not an isolated success but part of a sustainable pathway, capable of producing players ready for the senior game.
