Next up, the Lionesses will face Poland in their upcoming fixture, riding high on the confidence of their solid team performance and commanding victory over Samoa
The Kenya Lionesses made an impressive start to their campaign in the Cape Town leg of the Challenger Series, securing a well deserved 20-5 victory over Samoa.
The match began with Okullo taking”the initial kickoff. Early on, Samoa found themselves down to six players after an infringement, which provided the Lionesses an early advantage. Kenya made the most of this, earning a scrum that stretched the Samoan defense. Although Sharon Auma briefly lost possession with a knock on, the Lionesses quickly regained control through a turnover, maintaining pressure deep in Samoa’s half.
It was Okullo who made the breakthrough for Kenya, crossing the try line to open the scoring at 5-0, though the conversion was missed. Samoa’s situation worsened as they received a second yellow card, leaving them short-handed once again. The Lionesses capitalized on this advantage, with Okullo executing a quick tap near the try line and diving over for her second try, extending Kenya’s lead to 10-0 just before halftime.
In the second half, Samoa showed signs of resilience as their playmaker, Malia Nikalau, broke through two defenders to score, closing the gap to 10-5. However, Kenya's dominance continued as they expertly drew the Samoan defense toward the midfield. This created space for Naomi Amuguni, who finished off a well-timed move with a try that stretched the lead to 15-5.
The final blow came from Okullo, who completed her hat trick with a 16-meter run off a scrum. Her try sealed the win for the Lionesses at 20-5, ensuring their position at the top of Pool D.
Next up, the Lionesses will face Poland in their upcoming fixture, riding high on the confidence of their solid team performance and commanding victory over Samoa.