Head Coach Felix Oloo has rued the missed chances that saw the Lionesses suffer a heartbreaking 16-15 loss to Colombia on Wednesday 25 August 2021 at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi to exit the Rugby World Cup qualifiers.
The result saw the Lionesses miss out on a slot in the Rugby World Cup Repechage set to take place next year.
“Colombia took their chances very well unlike us who did not take our chances. If we could have played in the right zones, I believe we should have carried the day because each and every time we were playing in the right zones we were coming out with points,” said the coach.
“But we kept insisting, playing in our own zone which really cost us and the other fact that close to thirty minutes we played with less players, at some point going down to 13.”
A hard-fighting Lionesses fell to a 16-15 home loss to the South Africans.
It was a close contest, both sides giving as good as they got but it was Colombian winger Maria Arzuaga who opened the scoring with two penalties for a 6-0 lead after Kenya Captain Julie Nyambura had been sin-binned.
Arzuaga, who was voted man of the match went over the whitewash for an unconverted try, the South Americans leading 11-0 before Kenya number eight Leah Wambui benefitted from Bernadette Olesia’s hard work to touch down with Grace Adhiambo converting on the stroke of half time for an 11-7 score.
Adhiambo’s second half penalty made it 11-10 before Janet Okello scored from a quick penalty as Kenya led 15-11.
Yellow cards in quick succession to Wambui and Mitchelle Akinyi proved costly for the Lionesses who conceded a second try through Arzuaga.
Late Kenyan pressure came to naught, Colombia elated at the end as they secured repechage qualification at the expense of the Lionesses.
KRU
