Kenya Teams Ready for Uganda, Nigeria Africa Netball Cup Campaign Tests
BY Geoffrey Anene
Kenya’s Net Kings and Divas face contrasting challenges as they launch their respective campaigns at the international netball championship in Nairobi, with the men taking on arch-rivals Uganda and the women opening their Africa Netball Cup campaign against Nigeria on Saturday, September 19.
The Net Kings will meet Uganda in their opening men’s match, with assistant captain Christovin Juma saying the hosts are tactically prepared after five weeks of intensive training under coaches Peter Oloo and Zimbabwean Tapiwa Chirenda.
Speaking after the team’s final training session at the Kasarani Annex grounds on Friday, Juma explained that the squad was ready to put its preparations and lessons from previous matches into practice.
“Kenya has prepared well. For the past five weeks we have been here,” said Juma.
The goalshooter added that the team had learned valuable lessons from its previous encounter in Eswatini and would use them against Uganda.
“We are going there tactically. The coaches have prepared us tactically from the first and second quarters, and when we go to the third and fourth quarters, we will use different tactics,” he disclosed.
Juma called on Kenyans to turn up early and rally behind the home side as the country hosts the Africa Netball Cup for the first time.
“We kindly urge Kenyans to come early for our first match to support home soil talent and appreciate men’s netball and the way it has taken shape,” he appealed.
The men’s tournament brings together Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, Malawi and defending champions South Africa in a round-robin competition.
Kenya’s rivalry with Eswatini will also provide an intriguing subplot after the East Africans suffered narrow defeats to them in 2024 and 2025. Juma, however, noted that the team was not approaching the tournament with revenge in mind.
“We are not going there for revenge. We are going to approach that match with a calm mind, knowing that we have the home advantage,” he said.
For the Divas, the first assignment against Nigeria at 7.00pm on Saturday presents a different challenge. Kenya has limited knowledge of the Nigerians, who will be making their debut in the competition.
Goalshooter Lydia Nyapere said the Divas were ready to translate their weeks of preparation into action.
“We are born ready,” said Nyapere, who plays her club netball in Zimbabwe.
However, she acknowledged that Nigeria’s unfamiliar style makes the encounter difficult to predict.
“We don't want to underestimate or underrate them because they are making their debut,” she added.
Kenya trained mainly outdoors at home, while Nigeria has had exposure to indoor facilities during training stints in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. That contrast could prove important when the teams meet inside the Kasarani Indoor Arena.
Nyapere said the Divas would have to remain adaptable and respond to both the playing conditions and Nigeria’s tactics once the match begins.
Coach Evelyn Jerono explained that Kenya deliberately avoided friendly matches during its preparations to protect players from injuries while keeping tactical plans under wraps. Nigeria, meanwhile, had a warm-up match against Eswatini on Friday.
Jerono nevertheless expressed confidence in her squad, saying preparations under Zimbabwean head coach Chirenda had strengthened the players’ belief ahead of the tournament.
The women’s competition features 10 nations namely South Africa, who are defending champions, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Nigeria.
For both Kenyan teams, the opening matches offer an early test of their preparations, adaptability and composure, with the home crowd expected to provide added support as the country seeks a strong start on home soil.