Uganda’s She Cranes maintained their perfect start at the 2026 Africa Netball Cup after powering past Zambia 59-40 in Nairobi on Monday.
The victory at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, made it two wins from two for Uganda following Sunday’s commanding 68-30 success against Nigeria.
Uganda used their speed through court and sustained defensive pressure to gradually create separation from Zambia, strengthening their position in Pool 2.
The She Cranes entered the tournament with their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup already secured, but continental honours remain firmly within reach.
Uganda qualified directly for Sydney after finishing among the top six teams in the World Netball Rankings on December 1, 2025.
They currently remain sixth in the world and second among African countries behind fifth-ranked South Africa.
That status means Uganda are not competing for either of the two World Cup places available through the Nairobi qualifier.
Instead, the tournament provides another opportunity to challenge for African supremacy while building towards the World Cup in Sydney next year.
Against Zambia, Uganda followed another comfortable victory against Nigeria, where the She Cranes opened their campaign with a 38-goal winning margin.
Their latest success was not quite as emphatic, but Uganda still finished 19 goals clear of a Zambia side seeking its first victory.
Zambia coach Lazarus Tembo nevertheless felt his players produced an improved performance after studying Uganda’s strengths before the contest.
“We came in to counter some of the things we had studied about Uganda,” Tembo said.
“I’m proud of the girls because they put in a lot of work and did more than we expected from them.”
Uganda now turn their attention to hosts Kenya on Tuesday evening in what should provide another significant test of their unbeaten start.
The She Cranes then complete their Pool 2 programme against Malawi on Wednesday afternoon.
That final pool encounter could prove particularly important in determining the group positions, with Malawi also making a strong start in Nairobi.
The Malawi Queens followed victories over Zambia and Kenya by overwhelming Nigeria 82-22 on Monday to maintain their perfect record.
Uganda and Malawi are therefore emerging as the teams setting the pace in Pool 2 ahead of their meeting.
For Malawi, however, the stakes are different because they are still chasing one of the available qualification places for Sydney 2027.
Uganda and South Africa qualified automatically through their world rankings, meaning the next two eligible teams at the African qualifier will receive invitations to the World Cup.
The She Cranes can influence the qualification race despite already having their Sydney ticket secured.
Uganda’s men’s team, The Rock, are also competing in Nairobi and return to action on Tuesday against Eswatini.
South Africa currently lead the men’s round-robin after making it three victories from three, while Uganda remain among the teams pursuing them.