Uganda Set Up Netball Cup Final Showdown With South Africa After Hard-Fought Namibia Win

Uganda’s She Cranes booked their place in the Africa Netball Cup final after beating Namibia 52-41 in the second semi-final at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on Friday.

The result sets up a mouthwatering final against defending champions South Africa, who had earlier defeated Malawi 62-46 in the opening semi-final.

Uganda immediately took control of the contest, opening up a 6-2 lead before finishing the first quarter with a 15-8 advantage.

Namibia responded strongly in the second quarter and managed to cut the deficit to three goals at one point. The She Cranes, however, regained their composure and went into the break leading 26-20.

Uganda produced their most dominant spell after the restart, extending their advantage to 41-29 by the end of the third quarter.

Namibia refused to give up and attempted another comeback in the final quarter, but Uganda maintained enough control to keep their opponents at a distance.

The match was briefly interrupted by a blackout with 6:13 left on the clock and Uganda leading 46-34. Play resumed about three minutes later, although the arena remained under dim lighting.

Uganda eventually moved 52-39 ahead before Namibia added two late goals, but the She Cranes had already done enough to secure their place in Saturday’s final.

Uganda head coach Rashid Mubiru was pleased with his team's unbeaten run and immediately shifted his attention to the final against South Africa.

“We have played our games unbeaten. We have reached the finals after beating Namibia,” Mubiru said. “We also need a win for tomorrow's game.”

Mubiru credited Uganda's success to their playing approach and technical ability, while stressing that the team's work will continue beyond the tournament as they prepare for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

“After this championship, we shall keep on training, looking for test series, so that we build up these young girls who came,” he added.

Despite the defeat, Namibia vice-captain Monica Gomasis praised her teammates for the way they responded after Uganda's quick start.

“Coming into today's match, we knew it was not going to be easy,” Gomasis said. “I'm so proud of my team, getting a slow start. But the way we were able to come back, bring it back to a three-four goal margin.”

Gomasis admitted that Namibia's mistakes ultimately made the difference, but said the team could take pride from their performance.

“At the end, a bit of inconsistency and a few errors on our side cost us the match,” she said. “But we are proud and I think the score is good as well. From where we started to be able to compete like that against Uganda, we are more than proud.”

Namibia will now face Malawi in Saturday's third-place playoff, with Gomasis expecting another competitive encounter.

“Malawi will be a good match-up. But yes, we are just going to come out and give it our best. It's all we can do,” she said.

The tournament has nevertheless been a significant one for Namibia, who secured their return to the Netball World Cup for the first time in 31 years.

“It feels amazing,” Gomasis said. “It's something that we have worked for. It's something that Namibia has not seen for 31 years. Nobody gave us a qualification on a silver spoon. We earned it.”

Uganda and South Africa had already secured their places at the 2027 Netball World Cup through their world rankings before the Africa Netball Cup.

The final will headline Saturday's action at Kasarani.

• 8:00am: Botswana vs Zambia — 7th/8th playoff

• 10:00am: Zimbabwe vs Kenya — 5th/6th playoff

• 12:00pm: Namibia vs Malawi — 3rd/4th playoff

• 2:00pm: South Africa vs Eswatini — Men's final

• 4:00pm: South Africa vs Uganda — Women's final