2026 Africa Netball Cup: Another fallout for Malawi Kings

…..Malawi 31-52 Uganda

By Edwin Mbewe

**NAIROBI-(MaraviPost)-**Malawi’s men’s national netball team, the Kings, have finished the preliminary stage of the 2026 Africa Netball Cup without a win after suffering a 52-31 defeat to the Rock of Uganda on Wednesday,23rd September at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi.

The result leaves the Kings with four defeats from four matches as their campaign ends without a victory.

Head coach Garvey Nyondo attributed the team’s struggles to the lack of competitive men’s netball leagues in Malawi, saying the Kings have limited opportunities to keep players active outside national-team camps.

“We prepared well for the final match but Uganda came more physical, which led to injuries to many of our players,” Nyondo said.

“We have lost all games because all participating teams have local leagues in their countries while we depend on camp for the boys to be active.”

Nyondo called on the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) to secure sponsorship for men’s leagues, arguing that a domestic competition would provide a wider pool from which to identify and develop players.

“I appeal to the Netball Association of Malawi to secure sponsorship for men’s leagues for us to scout players from different teams. We need to keep the team together as slowly the future is seen amongst the players,” he said.

The coach’s concerns echo longstanding challenges surrounding the development of men’s netball in Malawi.

MaraviPost, monitoring Wednesday’s match through Africa Netball’s official platforms, observed that the Kings struggled to withstand Uganda’s physical pressure as The Rock took control of the contest.

The Kings had earlier suffered defeats against Kenya, Eswatini and South Africa, leaving them without a win from their four preliminary matches.

Queens face Uganda in crucial World Cup qualification battle

Meanwhile, attention now turns to Malawi’s women’s national netball team, the Queens, who face the She Cranes of Uganda in another potentially decisive encounter at the Africa Netball Cup.

The match, scheduled for 11:00 hours, carries significant importance for Malawi as the Queens continue their battle for qualification to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The Queens will be looking to produce a strong performance against Uganda in a match that could have a major bearing on their hopes of securing a place at next year’s global showpiece.

The encounter also gives Malawi an opportunity to respond on the court after the men’s side ended its campaign without a victory.

For the Queens, however, the focus is firmly on the qualification equation, with every result carrying added significance as teams fight for places at the 2027 World Cup.

The match between Malawi and Uganda is set for 11:00 hours on Wednesday.

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