George Ooro in action: Photo: Dennis Nderu
Festus Safari Shiasi rose to the occasion with a clutch extra-time try to hand Shujaa a dramatic 15–10 victory over Germany, capping an impressive unbeaten run on Day One of the pool stages in the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.
Kenya endured a difficult start, falling behind early after Ben Ellermann touched down in the 3rd minute. The pressure mounted moments later when Felix Hulnagel crossed in the 6th, punishing defensive gaps to give Germany a 10–0 cushion before the break.
Shujaa returned for the second half with renewed purpose. A dominant scrum deep in German territory set the platform for Nigel Amaitsa to finish off a flowing move out wide, reducing the deficit. Soon after, Patrick Odongo powered through two defenders with a blend of strength and pace to score Kenya’s second try.
Missed conversion attempts, however, meant the sides remained deadlocked at 10–10.
The tension peaked when Germany looked to have secured a penalty try, only for the decision to be overturned — a lifeline that pushed the contest into sudden-death extra time.
With nerves jangling and the match hanging in the balance, Shiasi produced the decisive moment. The KCB forward sliced through the defensive line, burst into open space, and sprinted over the try line to seal the win and spark wild celebrations among the home supporters.
The result completed a flawless Day One for Kenya, who had earlier defeated Canada 29–12 before thrashing Belgium 33–0.
Pool action resumes in a round-robin format with fixtures including Canada vs Belgium, USA vs Germany, Kenya vs Uruguay, Germany vs Belgium, Uruguay vs Canada, and Kenya vs USA.
With three wins from three, Shujaa head into the final round brimming with confidence and firmly in control of their campaign momentum.
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