NAIROBI, Kenya, November 13, 2025 – South African rugby legend Cecil Afrika is looking forward to reuniting with his Kenyan counterparts Collins Injera and Andrew Amonde at this weekend’s Africa Women’s 7s.
Afrika hopes to catch up on lost times with the two former Shujaa players even as he leads his Lady Boks side at the continental competition.
“I have been to Kenya before and played here. I am looking forward to meeting up with some of the players I knew from my playing days like Collins Injera and Andrew Amonde,” the 2010/11 International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens Player of the Year.
The 37-year-old enjoyed a success-laden career with his rugby 7s side, including clinching an Olympic bronze with his national team in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
He was also a Commonwealth Games champion, two years earlier, in Glasgow, Scotland.
At an individual level, Afrika, who hang up his boots in 2020, was his country’s all-time top try scorer with 179.
Of immediate concern for Afrika is Lady Boks’ defence of their crown, which they won courtesy of a 17-10 victory over Kenya at last year’s edition in Accra, Ghana.
The South Africans are the record champions, having won 11 out of the previous 13 editions.
Afrika concedes that pressure to keep this unblemished run will always be there but is nonetheless confident of the girls’ ability to deflate the pressure and rise to the occasion.
“There will always be pressure coming into this tournament but our focus is on our first game, which will be against Mauritius. Then, we will take it from there,” Afrika, who began his playing career at Griffons, said.
The gaffer believes an added advantage to his gameplan for the weekend will be the presence of a number of Boks fans in the stands.
He called on the South African community residing in Kenya to crowd the RFUEA Grounds and cheer on their countrywomen to success.
“To the South African community living in Kenya, please come out and support the girls. It would mean so much to have you in the crowd rallying behind them on Saturday and Sunday,” he said.
The defending champions are in Pool A where they face Mauritius and neighbours Zimbabwe.
