Kenya Under-20 head coach Simon Jawichre has hailed scrum-half Mike Lukusi's mental strength, leadership and coachability, after the Kabras RFC youngster delivered another outstanding performance to inspire Chipu to Rugby Africa Barthés U20 Trophy glory.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsLukusi capped off an impressive tournament by winning the Man of the Match award in Kenya's commanding 33-14 victory over Namibia in the final at Wankulukuku Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, on Tuesday, 11 August.The victory saw Chipu reclaim the continental crown they surrendered to Namibia in 2025. The 2026 edition was played under a revamped format, with Kenya competing in the Performance Division alongside Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tunisia.Chipu reclaim Barthés U20 Trophy with emphatic win over NamibiaAlthough Namibia came out strongly and tested Kenya's defense in the opening exchanges, Chipu weathered the early pressure before taking control of the contest with an expansive attacking display.For Jawichre, Lukusi's influence throughout the campaign went far beyond his individual brilliance."Michael Lukusi is mentally strong and always finds a way to get the job done. He's incredibly coachable, he's a natural leader, and he leads from the front. Those are the qualities that set him apart from many other players. I couldn't be prouder of him and what he has achieved," Jawichre said.The scrum-half has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past few years. He first caught the attention of Kenyan rugby fans while starring for Butula Boys High School, helping the Butula Hawks clinch the Western Region and National 15s titles in 2023 before finishing as the national runner-up and top try scorer in 2024.##NAJAVA_MECA_9893666##His performances earned him a move to Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar RFC ahead of the 2025 season, where he featured for both the club's developmental and senior teams in the Kenya Cup and National Sevens Circuit.His displays during the last two legs of the national sevens circuit further underlined his growing reputation before he carried that form into the continental championship with Chipu.Beyond Lukusi's individual success, Jawichre praised the entire squad for overcoming numerous challenges to reclaim the African title.Strathmore Leos thrown into mourning following death of player"Congratulations to the boys. I don't take this achievement for granted, especially considering the journey we've been through. We've faced so many hurdles along the way, but this is a resilient group. They have shown tremendous character, and I believe this squad deserves to be kept together because they have something special," he said.The coach believes winning the Barthés Trophy is only the beginning for a squad he feels has enormous potential."Reaching the pinnacle of African rugby is a huge achievement, but these boys still have a long way to go. The sky is the limit for them, and I believe they have the potential to achieve even greater things if they continue working hard,” he offered.President Ruto leads nation in celebrating Chipu’s Barthes Trophy gloryJawichre also revealed that Kenya's attacking philosophy was central to their triumph, despite the limited preparation time the team had before the tournament."Our biggest focus has always been on our attacking patterns. We want to use the entire width of the pitch and play an expansive, running game. We didn't have enough time to prepare together as a team, and that showed in some of the penalties we conceded and the number of errors we made.Running rugby, however, comes naturally to Kenyan players. That's part of our identity, and it's where our greatest strength lies. Once we returned to that style, we looked much more comfortable. I also thought our backline was outstanding throughout the tournament,” he averred.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895124##The coach reserved special praise for the players' resilience, noting that their success was made even more remarkable by the challenges they had to overcome."This is a team that has come from very humble beginnings. Considering the challenges we faced, especially with limited resources, this has to be one of the biggest victories we've achieved as a Kenyan team. It makes this success even more meaningful,” he concluded.