She Cranes face South Africa hurdle in bid for African crown

Group A: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania

Group B: Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, hosts Kenya and Nigeria

The She Cranes have entered the Africa Netball Cup in Nairobi with a realistic opportunity to reclaim the continental crown, but their route to the trophy is likely to be decided by how they handle the familiar challenge of South Africa.

Uganda, ranked sixth in the world and second in Africa, is the highest-ranked team in Group B, which also includes Malawi, Zambia, hosts Kenya and Nigeria.

On paper, the rankings give the She Cranes an advantage. Malawi are ranked seventh in the world and third in Africa, while Zambia are 17th globally and sixth in Africa. Kenya are 21st in the world and seventh in Africa, while Nigeria do not currently have a world ranking.

The rankings alone, however, will not win Uganda the trophy.

The She Cranes must first negotiate a group containing Malawi, a side that has historically provided Uganda with some of its toughest African battles.

Uganda's record against the other teams in the group offers encouragement. Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria have not registered a win over the She Cranes in major competition, while Malawi's most recent victory over Uganda came in 2015 at the Netball World Cup, when the Queens won 59-53. Since then, Uganda has enjoyed the advantage in their major encounters.

At the 2025 Africa Netball Cup in Lilongwe, Malawi, the She Cranes defeated the hosts 46-33 in the semi-finals. That record puts Uganda in a strong position to progress from the group, but the real test could come in the knockout stages.

South Africa stands between Uganda and glory

If recent continental history is anything to go by, the biggest obstacle to Uganda winning the trophy will be South Africa.

The two sides have dominated the African women's game in recent years, with South Africa winning the 2025 continental title. They have four African titles — 2013, 2019, 2021 and 2025 — compared with Uganda's three, won in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

The two nations have also developed a fierce rivalry at major international tournaments.

Their latest meeting came at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where South Africa defeated Uganda 62-54.

However, the result does not tell the entire story of the rivalry. Uganda also has a recent major victory over the Proteas, beating them 49-47 at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town.

That victory demonstrated that Uganda can defeat South Africa when the She Cranes execute their game plan effectively.

The question in Nairobi will therefore be whether Uganda can reproduce that level of performance over a full tournament.

Defence could determine Uganda's fate

South Africa possess the ability to apply pressure across the court, and Uganda's defenders and mid-court players could face a demanding examination if the two sides meet in the final.

Goal defender Aya Gloria is among the players expected to play an important role.

After being recognised among the world's best defenders following the Commonwealth Games, Aya has intensified her work in the gym and on her interception drills.

"I am 100% ready mentally and physically. I am waiting for the whistle. I have been doing a lot of gym work and working on my interception drills," Aya said.

Her ability to win turnovers could prove particularly important against strong attacking teams.

For Uganda to challenge South Africa, the defence cannot operate in isolation. The mid-court must also provide the pressure, speed and supply needed to turn defensive gains into goals.

Assistant captain Shaffie Nalwanja believes the team has learnt from its Commonwealth Games experience.

"All teams coming for this tournament are strong even if they are ranked below you. We have room for errors. We picked valuable lessons from Commonwealth Games and we are good to go," Nalwanja said.

Goal shooter Winnie Isoto believes the team must approach every contest with determination rather than fear.

"The strongest and the one that uses much effort wins. We need to be hungry for the ball, play a contest game and play hard without pressure and fearing other opponents," Isoto said.

That mentality could be crucial against South Africa, where small mistakes can quickly turn into scoring opportunities for the opposition.

Uganda will need consistency from its shooters, discipline through the center and strong defensive pressure if it is to overturn the result from Glasgow.

Can Uganda lift the trophy?

The She Cranes have several factors working in their favour: their world ranking, their strong record against most of their group opponents, experience at major international competitions and a squad motivated by the lessons of the Commonwealth Games.

They also know what it takes to win the continental title, having done so three times.

But South Africa's recent success means Uganda cannot rely on history or rankings. The defending champions have four continental titles and defeated Uganda in their latest meeting.

For the She Cranes, therefore, the road to the trophy could come down to one question: can they produce their best performance when they meet the continent's strongest opposition?

If Uganda can emerge from the group without a defeat, maintain defensive discipline, improve its mid-court pressure and convert opportunities consistently, the She Cranes will remain firmly in contention for the African crown.

The Rock seek a top-three finish

While attention will naturally fall on the She Cranes, Uganda's men's team, The Rock, will also be looking to make a significant statement in Nairobi.

The Rock finished fifth in last year's competition but are targeting a place among the top three this time around.

Coach Jesse Asiimwe believes the team has addressed one of its major weaknesses from the previous tournament: height.

The technical team has added taller defenders and shooters in an attempt to strengthen both ends of the court and give Uganda a better chance against physically bigger opponents.

Last year's fifth-place finish exposed the disadvantage Uganda faced in terms of height, but Asiimwe believes the changes made to the squad can help The Rock compete more effectively.

The battle for the Africa Netball Cup is therefore not only about rankings or past results. For Uganda, it is about converting recent lessons, maintaining consistency and finishing the tournament with trophies.