Lionesses coach Odongo confident as charges prey on Madagascar

The Kenya Lionesses are set to travel to Madagascar on June 5 for the Rugby World Cup, with Assistant Coach Simon Odongo expressing confidence in the squad ahead of the continental showdown.

While speaking to Citizen Digital, Odongo said that the team has been undergoing intense preparation in the past weeks in readiness for the tournament.

“We have prepared well so far. This is our third week in camp; we call it the reload week where we are focusing on our clarity of play and perfecting our set pieces.”

This year’s squad has been bolstered by the inclusion of key players from the Sevens team who had a good season in the recently concluded challenger series.

Their presence is expected to add depth and flair to the squad, particularly in the backline, which is composed entirely of Sevens specialists.

“Having the 7s girls back is a big boost. Last year, we missed them due to a fixture clash with the Challenger Series, but this time around, they’re here, and they’ve brought an extra level of quality,” he added.

A total of 28 players will make the trip to Madagascar. The squad includes 12 retained from last year’s Africa Cup campaign, three debutants, and a special returnee, Nelly Chikombe, who is back after maternity leave. The remainder of the team is made up of the returning Sevens players.

The Africa Women’s Cup will be played in a round robin format; Lioness will play boarder rivals Uganda, continental heavyweights South Africa and Madagascar.

The team is particularly focused on their opening match against Madagascar, a team which beat them 29-22 in their opening match in last year’s edition followed by a 63-5 loss to eventual champions South Africa.

“Last year Madagascar defeated us in our opening match. This year, Madagascar is our marker, it’s our final. The ladies have promised to bring fireworks, but first, we take care of the first match. The rest will take care of itself,” Odongo emphasized.

Enid Ouma, who captains the side, says that they are going into the tournament “with their heads high ready to conquer”.

“We have been grinding hard, we are going in heads high and we know we can conquer South Africa, Madagascar and Uganda.”

“We are in high spirit, we are not underestimating any team but we are hopeful we are going to do well,” added the skipper.