By Mahlon Lichuma
In an exclusive interview with Two5Four Rugby, Kenya Morans coach Louis Kisia reflected on his team’s performance at the Zambezi 7s, praising the youthful squad for their energy and teamwork throughout the tournament.
The former Impala RFC head coach highlighted that Morans setup continues to serve as a crucial development platform for emerging players, offering them valuable exposure and experience as they work toward potential elevation to the senior Shujaa squad.
“The Morans side is always the first priority for tournaments across Africa because it prepares players to merge and blend seamlessly with the main Sevens squad whenever changes arise,” Kisia explained.
He added that the Zambezi 7s squad was selected from the recent Safari 7s, combining both Morans and Shujaa talents. Among those drawn from the senior ranks were Jackson Siketi, Denis Abukuse, Gabriel Ayimba, Chrisant Ojwang, and Floyde Wabwire, all handed extended minutes to sharpen their match readiness.
The tournament also provided an ideal platform for John Okoth to regain full fitness after being sidelined by injury during the local circuit.
Kisia further applauded the new generation of players, including standout youngster Rayvone Ambale, noting that their hunger and confidence played a significant role in the Morans’ strong showing. “It was good to see the youngsters like Ambale stepping up and delivering,” he remarked.
Looking at areas for improvement, Kisia pointed out the need to strengthen restarts, scrums, and lineouts, emphasizing that set-pieces often dictate outcomes in pressure moments. While he praised the individual brilliance of players like Floyde, Siketi, Odongo, and Wekesa, he stressed that collective effort is what ultimately turns speed and explosiveness into consistent success.
Kisia also credited the team’s performance to an open and competitive selection process, which encouraged every player to fight for a starting berth.
“Unlike other competitions where we name a starting squad early and keep others as reserves, this time every player had the chance to prove themselves. That competition lifted the team’s overall performance,” he said.
English