Shujaa's Samuel Asati/HANDOUTShujaa captain Samuel Asati is confident Kenya can retain the Safari Sevens title when the 28th edition of the tournament kicks off at Nyayo Stadium from October 9-11.
Asati believes playing at home and the quality of players in camp give Shujaa a strong platform to defend the crown. “I believe with the players we have, we are equal to the task; we will defend the title,” Asati said.
He said playing on home soil, coupled with Kenya’s familiarity with the high-altitude conditions, would help the team impose its style. “We will be playing at high altitudes, which we are used to; we want to bring intensity to the game,” he said.
Kenya stepped up preparations after the national sevens circuit, which KCB won, with Asati saying the players have been working towards the tournament despite uncertainty over team selection.
Kenya will field two national teams, Shujaa and Morans, at the tournament, with Asati admitting players are not yet certain which side they will represent. “No one is sure if they will be playing for Shujaa or Morans, but we have a good set of players in the camp,” he said.
Morans will enter the tournament with an advantage after featuring in an international assignment in Mauritius, but Asati believes that will not determine the outcome. “Morans are one tournament ahead of us.
At the moment they have an upper hand, but that does not limit us,” he said. Asati identified transitions and restarts as key areas Kenya must execute well if they are to retain the title. “Sevens is a game of transitions and restarts. How well we transition both in attack and defence will matter a lot in this tournament,” he said.
The captain also views Safari Sevens as part of a broader plan to return Kenya to the HSBC Sevens Division One, the sport’s elite international circuit.
“Safari Sevens is preparation for the HSBC series. We start with Safari Sevens, then we go to HSBC Sevens Two. The goal is to reach Sevens One,” Asati said. With the Olympics also on the horizon, he said the team would use the coming competitions to build towards the Games.
“Next year is an Olympic year; we want to build up well for the Olympics also,” he added. Meanwhile, Lionesses player Judith Auma is equally confident Kenya can retain the women’s title.
Auma said early preparations and teamwork were instrumental in last year’s triumph and believes the team is ready for another title challenge.
\She also expects the tournament to provide an opportunity to assess new players who have joined the squad after impressing during the national series.
“We have new players coming in at this tournament. According to how they played in the national series, we want to see what they add to the team before we go for the Africa Cup,” Auma said.
