Shujaa , Lionesses in make-or-break battle in Los Angeles

Shujaa and Kenya Lionesses face a moment of truth in the promotion and relegation shootout of the Los Angeles Sevens leg on Saturday. 

Kenya Sevens team will be hoping to maintain core status while the Lionesses, who topped the Challenger Sevens Series leg with 58 points, are eyeing promotion to the top tier.

For Shujaa, it's all about keeping the momentum from Singapore, where they finished second, losing to Fiji  21-12 in the final on April 6.

Kevin Wambua's charges blew hot and cold in the six tournaments this season, finishing ninth with 36 points, but the tactician believes his charges are ready for a bruising weekend.

 “It's been a tough season. We have had our highs and lows, and now we must keep our core status. The boys played exceptionally well in Hong Kong and Singapore last month, now we come here in California, ready to fight all the way,” observed. 

Shujaa open their campaign against Samoa at 9:28 pm EAT on Saturday.

Samoa finished fourth in the Challenger Sevens Series with 44 points.  The two sides last clashed in the Paris Olympics twice, with Samoa winning 26-0 and Kenya bouncing back in the classification match with a 10-5 win. 

Overall,  the Pacific Islanders, who were relegated at the end of last season,  hold the head-to-head record with 15 wins to Kenya's 12. 

Wambua termed the opponents as physical and speedy.

“From our previous experiences, they are a physical side that pounds you into submission. We must match them in that regard and be efficient with our decision making as well as defence,” noted Wambua. 

Shujaa then face Portugal at 12:51 am on Sunday. The European outfit topped the challenger standings with 52 points and has always been a tricky side.  

Shujaa hold the head-to-head record in nine meetings with the Portuguese, with eight wins to Portugal's one. 

The last time the two sides met was in 2016, with Kenya emerging 22-17 winners. Shujaa's final match will be against the hosts, USA, at 9:28 pm on Sunday.

The USA hold the slight edge over Kenya, winning 18 of the 31 matches played. 

The Lionesses, on their part, face a stern test in their quest for promotion when they face Spain at 10:12 pm on Saturday.

They then take on Brazil on Sunday at 11:35 am before concluding their matches against Colombia at 8:44 pm on Sunday.