Nairobi — Debutant Nygel Amaitsa dotted down thrice, with captain Vincent Onyala adding a brace as Shujaa started off their Africa Sevens campaign on a high with a 34-10 victory over Nigeria in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Saturday morning.

It was a perfect start for Shujaa in the group stage matches, despite Segun Owobowale's brace for the West Africans

Shujaa led 19-5 at the break, a dominant display despite a few blips sailing them head and shoulders above the Nigerians.

Onyala dotted down the first of his two inside the opening two minutes when Shujaa turned over possession, Patrick Odongo spraying the pass for the skipper to dot down under the posts. Co-captain Tony Omondi added the complements for a 7-0 lead.

However, the Nigerians landed an immediate response, Owobowale showing his strength with a good run down the right and pushing away his tacklers. The conversion was wide, Shujaa enjoying a two-point lead.

But, Amaitsa who has been in sizzling form at club level with Strathmore showed his trickery on the feet, some quick footwork seeing him land his marker on his backside before crossing over under the posts, Omondi adding the twos for a 14-5 lead.

Straight from the restart, Shujaa made it 19 when Kelvin Wekesa picked up the ball and sprayed it on the opposite side, with Onyala completing his brace at the break.

Right at the start of the second half, Amaitsa added the second try of the game before completing his hattrick with another brilliant quick shuffle of legs sending his markers the wrong way, as Shujaa led 29-5, with both conversions going wide.

Another debutant, Festus Shiasi, then made it 34-5 with the sixth try for Shujaa, when the Kenyan boys took advantage of being a man up. The ball was spread well to the left where Shiasi was unmarked and he crossed over.

Owobowale would add in his second try of the game at the buzzer, but it mattered less as Shujaa had already taken care of business.

The Kenyan boys next play Namibia at 1:50pm.