Kenya Lionesses’ squad for HSBC Challenge Series unveiled
Grace Okulu will be captain of the squad which has a mix of experience and buzzing young talent as well
Kenya Lionesses Head coach Denis Mwanja has unveiled a 12 player squad ahead of the South African leg of the 2025 HSBC Challenger series beginning next week.
Grace Okulu will be captain of the squad which has a mix of experience and buzzing young talent as well.
The team’s campaign starts with two rounds at Athlone Stadium in South Africa on 1st-2nd and 7th-8th March, 2025. The national women’s sevens side has been drawn in Pool D alongside European nation Poland and Pacific islanders Samoa as they seek to secure a top-four finish in the overall standings to advance to the HSBC 7s play-offs tournament.
Mwanja expressed his confidence in the selected team, noting the squad’s dedication and preparation ahead of the challenge.
“The girls have been working hard in training, and I am confident they will put in the work on the field. This is a talented and resilient group, and I believe they are ready for the task ahead,” he said.
The travelling squad include; Naomi Amuguni, Christabel Lindo, Sheila Chajira, Stellah Wafula, Faith Livoi, Moreen Muritu, Sinaida Mokaya, Freshia Oduor, Judith Okumu,Grace Okulu (Captain),Sharon Auma and Diana Ochieng.
The top eight teams from the first two rounds will advance to the third round of the Challenger Series, scheduled for 11th-12th April in Krakow, Poland.
At the conclusion of this round, the top four ranked teams will qualify for the HSBC SVNS play-off tournament in Los Angeles on 3rd-4th May, where they will compete for a place in the elite HSBC 7s circuit.
After narrowly missing out on a top-four finish last year, the Lionesses are more determined than ever to secure a slot.
A fortnight ago, Kenya had a friendly match with Poland and as such Mwanja and his technical bench already understand what to expect.
In that duel, Kenya won 19-12 setting the pace for a good second run between the two nations with qualification in both countries minds.
The two teams clashed in the third leg of last year’s Challenger Series in Krakow, where the Poles triumphed 21-10 in the main cup semi-finals.
The Lionesses have also last year defeated Samoa in the Repechage tourney held in Monaco, France by winning 31-5 in the qualification ticket for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Safaricom are principal shirt sponsors and have also weighed in with financial support for the ladies ahead of the showpiece.
