Kenya Divas Shine Against Nigeria as Net Kings Stumble in Africa Netball Cup Opener

Kenya opened its 2026 Africa Netball Cup campaign with contrasting results at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on Saturday, September 19, as the Kenya Divas brushed aside Nigeria 61-40 before the Net Kings fell 45-33 to Uganda.

The Divas, ranked 21st in the world, wasted little time asserting their authority in front of a sizeable home crowd, establishing a 19-9 lead in the opening quarter.

They maintained their grip on the contest through the second quarter, going into halftime 37-20 ahead.

Nigeria produced a stronger showing after the break, taking the third quarter 12-10, but the comeback was not enough to unsettle the hosts.

Kenya still held a 47-32 advantage heading into the final quarter and finished the job with a 61-40 victory.

Zimbabwe-based goal shooter Lydia Nyapere was central to Kenya’s attacking effort, while captain Parin Simiyu, 45, provided leadership at the back as the Divas marked their tournament opening with a convincing performance.

Coach Tapiwa Chirenda, who took charge from Zimbabwe, pointed to Kenya’s improved transition play as one of the key differences after introducing new concepts during his first month with the team.

Simiyu also credited the home crowd while highlighting the work Kenya had put into its transitions during preparations.

The Divas now turn their attention to Malawi, one of Africa’s leading sides and ranked third on the continent behind South Africa and Uganda.

For Nigeria, the defeat offered a valuable learning opportunity for a relatively young squad assembled following trials in June.

Coach Alison Akinrinola acknowledged the challenge of facing one of the competition’s toughest opponents, with the Nigerian team having also spent time training in the United Kingdom before playing a warm-up match against Eswatini men.

Kenya, meanwhile, kept its preparations at home, training at the Kasarani Annex and Kasarani Indoor Arena ahead of the tournament.

The men’s opening match proved a tougher assignment for Kenya as Uganda controlled much of the contest.

The Net Kings found themselves 13-6 down after the first quarter before Uganda extended the margin to 25-15 at halftime.

Kenya showed signs of a fightback in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to seven goals at 28-21, but Uganda quickly regained momentum to lead 38-25 going into the final period.

The Ugandans stretched their advantage to 44-27 before Kenya mounted a late rally. However, the gap proved too large to close as Uganda secured a 45-33 victory.

Kenya coach Peter Oloo acknowledged that his team was hurt by a series of errors, including misplaced passes, footwork and obstruction.

He also questioned some of the umpiring decisions during the match but said the focus must now shift to the next fixture, with Kenya needing to beat Malawi.

Uganda coach Jesse Asiimwe said his team had drawn lessons from Ugandan clubs’ defeats by Ulinzi in May.

Uganda, which finished fifth at the 2025 tournament, one place behind Kenya, has now set its sights on a stronger showing in this year’s competition.

Reigning champions South Africa also got their campaign underway on Saturday.

In the men’s competition, South Africa overcame Eswatini 43-36 after trailing 22-14 at halftime.

The defending champions were more dominant in the women’s competition, overwhelming Tanzania 89-22.

Elsewhere, Malawi defeated Zambia 72-38, while Zimbabwe beat Botswana 57-39.

Africa Netball Cup doubles as World Cup qualifier

The women’s Africa Netball Cup features 10 countries and also serves as the African qualifying tournament for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.

South Africa and Uganda have already secured their places at the global tournament through their world rankings.

That leaves the remaining eight nations battling for two qualification places, adding further significance to every match in Nairobi.

For Kenya, the immediate task is to build on the Divas’ impressive opening win against Nigeria while the Net Kings look to recover quickly from their defeat to Uganda.