Kenya Simbas are struggling to get past their Rugby Africa Men's Championships Semifinal loss to Zimbabwe on Sunday, with centre Samuel Ovwamu saying that the squad is still heartbroken from their narrow loss to the southern African side.

The Simbas lost 29-23 to their rivals at the Namboole Stadium, meaning that they miss out on the opportunity to compete at the 2027 World Cup in Australia. The loss, which came after they lead 18-13 at halftime, was disappointing for the Kenyan boys who had believed that they were in a strong position to make the World Cup.

Ovwamu, who represents the Menengai Oilers locally, has been with the squad in Kampala and says that the disappointment is telling following Sunday's loss.

“It’s an honour to play for the Kenya Simbas and to be part of the 28-man squad that travelled to Uganda. Representing 54 million Kenyans is a great feeling. It's something I’ve always dreamed of. Unfortunately, on Sunday, we didn’t manage to qualify for the World Cup after losing to Zimbabwe,” he was quoted by Citizen Digital.

“We had high hopes, but things didn’t go as we expected. It’s a terrible feeling; the mood is completely down. But it’s already happened, and there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

Ovwamu, who had a fantastic debut season in the Kenya Cup as well as Enterprise Cup, hasn’t started in either of the Simbas' two fixtures in Uganda against the hosts and Zimbabwe. He is hoping to get the nod for the final match on 19th July 2025 where they will take on Algeria in the third place playoff.

“If I get the chance to play, I’ll give it my all. We only have one game left, against Algeria on Saturday. Hopefully, I’ll get to play, and as always, I’ll give my best.”

The Simbas will now have to wait until 2031 for the next opportunity to compete at the World Cup. Ovwamu, who is still in his early career phases, will be hoping to hang around for a while on the pitch