The Africa Netball Cup returns on December 9th and will run until December 14th with ten teams confirming participation in the tournament, which will take place from the 9th to the 14th of December in Namibia. The games will take place at the MTC Dome in the coastal town of Swakopmund.
The Teams
The teams that have confirmed participation in the tournament include Uganda, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the host country Namibia.
The tournament brings together the best talent in netball on a competitive front from which the victors improve their global and Continental ranking. It is more than just a competition as the week-long event immerses itself into the celebration of African culture, togetherness and talent.
Nambia Host Country
Namibia will be hosting the games for the second time, having hosted the tournament in 2021, where South Africa claimed gold, making it the country with the most championships at the tournament with three titles (2013, 2019 and 2021).
South Africa is once again expected to have a dominant front, with most of its players having recently returned from the Fast5 Netball games in New Zealand, where they came in third. Uganda’s squad is also expected to have a competing front as they scooped Bronze at the Fast5 games.
Uganda did not participate in the 2023 Africa Netball Cup due to administrative woes arising from the Fédération. However, with their return to the tournament, there is a lot of anticipation and expectations for what the She Cranes can achieve at the tournament.
World Rankings
Despite Uganda having a tough show against the South African Netball team, the SPAR Proteas, at the Fast5 games in New Zealand, the She Cranes are still ranked in sixth position. South Africa is placed fifth, with Malawi right below Uganda in seventh. Zimbabwe, which won the Championship in 2015, is placed in the 13th position. Zambia, the reigning champions in 2023, have a huge task at hand as they are in 15th position. The host country, Namibia, ranks in the 19th position, Botswana in the 22nd position, Kenya in the 26th position. Eswatini ranks in the 41st position and Lesotho is currently not ranked but is eligible to compete in World Netball ranked matches.
Tournament Significance
Netball is a popular women’s sport on the continent, and the continued elevation of the sport is paving way for the growth of a professional space on the continent. The tournament was started in 2010 with only women’s teams, but the sport is gaining momentum among men; hence, in 2023, the men’s edition was introduced. It is an opportunity for African teams to improve their World Netball ranking and qualify for other global netball tournaments.
