Nigeria’s national netball team faced a tough loss at the Africa Netball Cup and Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifiers. They were defeated 82, 22 by Malawi in their Pool 2 match in Nairobi on Monday.
This loss keeps Malawi's perfect record in the qualifiers and guarantees them a spot at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney. World Netball confirmed that the Africa qualifiers are happening in Kenya from 19 to 26 September, with Nigeria among 10 teams competing.
From the start, the Queens of Malawi took control of the game, jumping to a 21, 6 lead after the first quarter. The Green Hawks of Nigeria struggled to stop Malawi’s strong offensive play, and the score gap only grew larger. By half-time, Malawi was leading 40, 11, leaving Nigeria in a tough position for the second half.
The third quarter was even harder for Nigeria, as Malawi scored 23 goals compared to Nigeria’s three. This took the score to 63, 14. In the final quarter, the Queens added another 19 goals, ending the game with a clear 82, 22 victory, marking a 60-goal win.
Quarter-by-quarter score
For Nigeria, this defeat follows earlier losses to Kenya (61, 40) and Uganda (68, 30) in Pool 2.
The Green Hawks will play against Zambia next on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The action in Pool 2 wraps up with Uganda facing Malawi on Wednesday, 23 September.
World Netball noted that South Africa and Uganda have already qualified for Sydney 2027 based on their world rankings. The Africa qualifiers will decide which other teams join them in the tournament.
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