Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
JUNIOR Sables coach, Shaun De Souza, says Zimbabwe have “something to prove” when they face old rivals Kenya in the semi-finals of the 2026 Barthés Trophy in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday.
The clash presents the Junior Sables with an opportunity to erase the disappointment of back-to-back defeats to the East Africans.
The Kenyans have emerged as one of Zimbabwe’s fiercest rivals at Under-20 level.
Kenya denied Zimbabwe a third successive Barthés Trophy title when they claimed a 28-13 victory in the 2024 final.
They then registered another win over the Junior Sables on Zimbabwean soil.
With the two teams set to renew their rivalry on neutral territory, De Souza believes his youthful side is ready to rise to the occasion.
“It’s going to be interesting meeting Kenya in the semi-finals. First game of the tournament. We do have our feelings with Kenya.
“They beat us here at home, two times in a row, so we definitely have something to prove.
“Hopefully, on neutral ground it will be fair play for both of us so let’s see, the best man wins.
“I think they have the upper hand because they have retained most of their players from last year and we have only retained four players.”
He added:
“We have planned around that and put in the work. We have analysed their team and their strengths.
“Hopefully, we can neutralise their strengths and be more physical in our contacts and, hopefully, we capitalise on our speed and agility. “The boys have responded well in training and there is a real sense of belief in the group.”
Zimbabwe head into the tournament with a largely rebuilt squad following the departure of most of last year’s players.
The revamped Barthés Trophy will be held in Kampala from Friday to August 15 under Rugby Africa’s new split-tier format.
Zimbabwe, Kenya, defending champions Namibia and Tunisia make up the elite Performance Division.
Victory over Kenya would not only send Zimbabwe into the title decider but also provide the perfect response after two painful defeats to the East Africans, while also restoring confidence in a squad still finding its identity.
