She Cranes to face Namibia in Africa Netball Cup semis

Uganda’s She Cranes are braced for a monumental test against Namibia in the semifinals of the 2026 Africa Netball Cup after edging the Malawi Queens 53-49 in a tense Pool 2 finale at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on Wednesday.

The nervy victory on September 23 saw the She Cranes finish top of Pool 2 with an unbeaten record, setting up a semifinal meeting with second-placed Namibia from Pool 1 on Friday, September 25.

Uganda had earlier swept aside Nigeria 68-30, Zambia 59-40 and hosts Kenya 62-42 before completing their flawless pool campaign against a spirited Malawi side.

Malawi Queens bow as She Cranes march on

The semifinal pairing was determined by the competition format, with the winners of each pool taking on the runners-up from the opposite pool. Uganda’s eight points put them at the top of Pool 2, with Malawi finishing second on six points.

In Pool 1, South Africa also collected eight points to finish top, while Namibia settled for second on six. South Africa’s position was reinforced by their 55-33 victory over Namibia in their recent Pool 1 match, a 22-goal margin that kept the South Africans top on goal difference.

That means Uganda will now meet Namibia, while South Africa take on Malawi in the other semi-final.

The semifinals will be played on Friday, September 25, with the final scheduled for Saturday, September 26. The remaining teams will compete in placement matches.

2027 Netball World Cup

The tournament, being held in Nairobi, is not only the 2026 Africa Netball Cup but also serves as the official African regional qualifier for the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027.

Uganda and South Africa, however, have already secured places at the 2027 global showpiece through their world rankings.

South Africa are ranked fifth in the world, while Uganda are sixth. Consequently, should Uganda and South Africa both reach the Africa Netball Cup final, an arrangement will be made to determine another African representative for the 2027 Netball World Cup. The Sydney tournament will run from Wednesday, August 25 to Sunday, September 5, 2027, in Australia.

As of September 2026, 10 countries have secured their places for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The qualified teams include the host nation, top-ranked global teams via World Netball rankings, and winners from the Asia and Oceania regional qualifiers. Specifically, Australia qualified as the Host Nation; New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa, and Uganda qualified through World Netball Rankings; Singapore and Hong Kong secured their spots as Asia Qualifiers; and Samoa and Tonga advanced as Oceania Qualifiers.

A total of 16 nations will participate in the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, with 6 nations currently playing their qualifiers.

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