Sunday, July 28
Ivory Coast 10-23 Burkina Faso
Uganda 34-31 Senegal
Kenya 27-38 Namibia
Algeria 03-29 Zimbabwe
Rankings
- Zimbabwe
- Algeria
- Namibia
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Senegal
- Ivory Coast
- Burkina Faso
Uganda’s Rugby Cranes secured fifth place by overcoming Senegal 34-31 in a nail-biting match at the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup in Namboole.
The decisive moment came when Joseph Aredo successfully scored a sudden death penalty, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The Cranes’ only try in the first half was delivered by Alex Aturinda, while Ivan Magomu added two penalties and a conversion as the hosts trailed 13-17 at halftime.
Arnold Ocen, making his debut, scored a try as Uganda mounted a comeback in tw second half.
Uganda missed an opportunity to win in regulation time when Magomu’s penalty kick failed to split the uprights after the hooter had gone, pushing the match into extra time.
Timothy Kisiga scored another try for Uganda during extra time, but Senegal consistently matched their efforts, resulting in a 31-31 tie at the end of the period.
The match was ultimately decided when Aredo maintained his composure to score the winning penalty, clinching the victory for Uganda.
The Rugby Cranes had entered the tournament aiming for their second gold but had to settle for fifth place. The team will look to improve next year as they host the tournament again, with World Cup qualification on the line.
Earlier, Burkina Faso was relegated from the eight-team top tier after finishing last, following a 23-10 defeat to Ivory Coast in the seventh-place playoff.
Namibia secured third place by defeating Kenya 38-27. The Namibians, who are record African champions, won bronze after losing their title, which they had held for six consecutive editions.
The final saw Zimbabwe’s Sables triumph over Algeria with a 29-3 victory. Key tries from Trevor Gurwe, Edward Sigauke, Liam Lurkan, and Keegan Joubert led Zimbabwe to their second title.
Their path to victory included eliminating host Uganda in the quarterfinals and dethroning defending champions Namibia in the semifinals.
https://sportsnation.co.ug/2024/07/29/rugby-africa-cup-uganda-fifth-zimbabwe-champions/
