Kenya’s Rising Lionesses Face Setback Ahead of Semi-Finals

Kenya’s Rising Lionesses suffered their first defeat at the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games after going down 17-5 to Australia in their final Pool A match on Tuesday, November 3.

The defeat ended the Kenyan youngsters’ hopes of completing the group stage with three consecutive victories, following impressive wins against China and hosts Senegal. However, the result did not end their campaign, as they had already secured qualification for the women’s rugby sevens semi-finals.

The match, played at Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar, presented a tougher challenge for the Kenyan side, which had entered the contest with plenty of confidence after producing two convincing performances in their opening fixtures.

Kenya had started its campaign with a 12-5 victory over China before following it up with a commanding 19-0 triumph against Senegal. Those results placed the Rising Lionesses among the strongest teams in Pool A and raised expectations ahead of their meeting with Australia.

However, the Australians proved difficult opponents, using their experience, pace and attacking organisation to take control of the encounter.

The Rising Lionesses made an encouraging start, with Josephine Kerubo crossing the try line to give Kenya an early breakthrough. However, Australia responded through a try by Henry, who also added the conversion to put her side ahead.

Australia continued to apply pressure, with Grace Buchanan and Keira Callaghan adding further tries to extend their advantage. Kenya struggled to find a response against an Australian defence that remained organised throughout the contest.

The final score stood at 17-5, handing Australia its third consecutive victory in the group stage and confirming its position as Pool A leaders.

Despite the disappointment, Kenya can take encouragement from the progress made during the opening stages of the tournament. The two victories against China and Senegal demonstrated the team’s ability to compete against international opposition and deliver results under pressure.

The 19-0 victory over Senegal was particularly impressive, with Evalyne Afande scoring twice after Josphine Kerubo had opened the scoring. Joy Murigi and Diana Wanjiku also contributed through successful conversions, helping Kenya register its biggest win of the competition so far.

Afande has been one of the standout performers for the Kenyan side, having also scored in the opening match against China. Her performances have highlighted the emerging talent within the country’s school rugby system, with the youngster coming from Kinale Girls, the national school rugby champions.

The Rising Lionesses, coached by Night Otwoma, will now have to put the Australia defeat behind them and concentrate on the knockout stage, where the competition becomes even more demanding.

Finishing second in Pool A with six points, behind Australia, means Kenya remains firmly in contention for a medal. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semi-finals, giving the young Kenyan players another opportunity to fight for a place in the final.

Their performances in Dakar have already attracted attention, particularly considering the importance of the tournament in providing young African athletes with an opportunity to compete against some of the world’s strongest sporting nations.

The Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games are historic, being the first edition of the Youth Olympics to be staged on African soil. For Kenya, the competition provides an important platform to showcase its emerging sporting talent beyond traditional athletics and senior rugby competitions.

Although the loss to Australia brought their unbeaten run to an end, the Rising Lionesses still have an opportunity to make history in Dakar.

Their immediate challenge will be to recover from the setback, sharpen their defensive organisation and improve their attacking execution ahead of the semi-finals.

For the young Kenyan players, the journey is far from over, and the biggest test of their campaign now awaits.

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