The She Cranes winning cast
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The She Cranes staring performance is likely to take them to the top of the African continental netball championship, after Uganda opened its 2026 Africa Netball Cup campaign with an emphatic 68-30 victory over Nigeria’s Green Hawks in Nairobi.
The 38-goal victory at the Kasarani Indoor Arena provided an early indication of Uganda’s ambitions as the She Cranes seek continental honours in a tournament featuring 10 of Africa’s leading netball nations.
Uganda, ranked sixth in the world, used its greater international experience, physical strength and superior court control to dominate Nigeria, a team still developing its presence on the international stage. The Green Hawks were playing in their first major continental championship and had already lost 61-40 to hosts Kenya in their opening match.
Strong start raises title hopes
The She Cranes’ commanding performance has placed them among the teams expected to challenge for the Africa Netball Cup crown, although the tournament remains at an early stage.
Uganda’s opening victory was particularly significant because it came against a Nigerian side that was gaining valuable experience but could not match the Ugandans’ intensity and organisation.
The result also demonstrated the gulf between Uganda, an established international side, and emerging teams attempting to break into the African netball hierarchy.
The She Cranes entered the championship with considerable international experience, having competed against some of the world’s strongest teams. Uganda also finished sixth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with much of that squad retained for the Nairobi competition.
Uganda’s campaign is being played in Pool 2, alongside Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Nigeria. Pool 1 contains defending champions South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania.
Zambia provides next test
After disposing of Nigeria, Uganda’s immediate attention turns to Zambia, whom the She Cranes face on Monday, September 21 at noon.
The encounter will provide another opportunity for Uganda to demonstrate whether its opening performance can be sustained against stronger opposition.
Uganda will then face Kenya on Tuesday before completing its pool programme against Malawi on Wednesday. The results from those matches will determine the teams advancing to the knockout stages.
The She Cranes therefore cannot afford to rely on the margin of victory against Nigeria. The remaining pool matches will present a considerably tougher examination, particularly against Kenya and Malawi.
South Africa remains a major hurdle
While Uganda’s opening performance has strengthened expectations around the team, the championship also contains a significant challenge in defending champions South Africa.
The SPAR Proteas entered the competition as holders after winning the previous edition of the Africa Netball Cup. They also opened their title defence with a 90-22 victory over Tanzania.
South Africa and Uganda are also the two African teams that have already qualified for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney through their world rankings. World Netball confirmed that both nations’ Nairobi campaigns are therefore focused on the continental championship rather than securing World Cup qualification.
This gives the She Cranes an additional incentive to push for the continental trophy, while the other participating nations are also competing for the remaining World Cup places.
Championship race
The tournament runs from September 19 to 26 at Kasarani, with the decisive stages scheduled for the final days.
The leading teams will advance from the pool phase to the semifinals, with the championship decider scheduled for September 26.
For Uganda, the route to the crown will require consistency rather than another isolated big victory. The She Cranes must maintain their defensive discipline, shooting efficiency and control of possession as the opposition becomes stronger.
