The Kenya Lionesses produced a spirited comeback to secure their first victory at the HSBC SVNS Series 2, edging Brazil 15–12 in a tense opener.
The match began with early pressure on the Kenyan side as Phoebe Otieno stayed down after her first collision, giving Brazil momentum to strike first. Natalia Costa showed blistering pace as she rounded Janet Okello to score Brazil’s opener. Moments later, Bianca Silva powered through for a second try, stretching Brazil’s lead to 12–0.
Kenya’s breakthrough came after a Brazilian infringement reduced their opponents to six. Taking advantage, Janet Okello dove over the whitewash to cut the deficit to 12–5 heading into halftime.
The Lionesses returned from the break with renewed fire. Stella Wafula sprinted down the far left to dot down Kenya’s second, narrowing the scoreline to 12–10 after a missed conversion. With sustained pressure camped inside Brazil’s 22, Kenya kept pushing the tempo.
Their persistence paid off when Naomi Amuguni finished off a well-worked move, grounding Kenya’s third try after a neat pass from Okello. The 15–12 lead held to the final whistle, sealing a morale-boosting comeback victory for the Lionesses.
In other women’s results, Spain fell 12–14 to African champions South Africa, while Argentina claimed a commanding 20–10 win over China.
Women’s Results:
Argentina 20–10 China
Spain 12–14 South Africa
Brazil 12–15 Kenya Lionesses
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