Kenya Lionesses’ hopes of qualifying for HSBC SVNS 3 were dashed after they suffered a 19-12 defeat to Uganda in a fiercely contested Africa Women’s 7s semifinal at the RFUEA Grounds on Sunday, 8 November.The defeat ended Kenya’s hopes of securing promotion to the global competition, with Uganda booking their place in HSBC SVNS 3 following a memorable victory.##NAJAVA_MECA_10095197##The result also marked Uganda’s first victory over the Lionesses since 2023, when they defeated Kenya to clinch the Safari 7s title.Peace Lekuru, the first Ugandan woman to play professional rugby, was the star of the show, scoring twice, while Tina Akello also crossed the whitewash to inspire Uganda to victory.Uganda made a blistering start, with Akello and Lekuru scoring within the opening two minutes to give their side an early advantage.Stars Abroad: Harper makes late appearance as Exeter stun Huddersfield while Anyembe features in Viborg winKenya, however, gradually found their rhythm despite struggling with handling errors. The Lionesses enjoyed spells of possession and eventually found a breakthrough through Freshia Oduor, who capitalised on a lapse in Uganda’s defence to score.Sinaida Nyachio added the conversion to reduce the deficit as Kenya fought their way back into the contest.Uganda went into the break with a 12-7 lead.The Lionesses returned for the second half with renewed determination, putting Uganda under pressure and forcing them to defend deep inside their territory.Kenya continued to search for an equaliser and eventually found their way over the try line following a scrum. Nyachio set up Janet Okello for a crucial try before adding the conversion to level the scores at 12-12.FKF PL: High-stakes Gor Mahia vs Nairobi United clash headlines Sunday fixturesHowever, Uganda had the final say.After regaining possession, Lekuru burst forward and powered her way into Kenya’s territory before crossing the whitewash to complete her brace and restore Uganda’s lead.The try proved decisive as Uganda held on to secure a historic victory and confirm their qualification for HSBC SVNS 3.Uganda will now head to Dubai next month, where they will compete in the SVNS 3 competition as they take another step towards establishing themselves on the global rugby stage.Kenya, meanwhile, will have to wait for the next HSBC SVNS 3 qualification opportunity after their promotion hopes were ended on home soil.FKF scout Obado reveals how he unearthed Kenya U15 World Cup stars