By Daniel Nyeko
The Uganda She Cranes have cemented their status as one of Africa’s netball heavyweights with a stunning victory over tournament hosts, the Malawi Queens, at the Griffins Saenda Sports Complex in Lilongwe on Saturday, December 13, to seal a place in the 2025 Africa Netball Cup final.
In the highly anticipated semi final clash, the She Cranes were off to a flying start, quickly establishing dominance as the Malawi Queens struggled to cope with the pace of the game.
Uganda set the tone in the first quarter by scoring 12 goals while limiting Malawi to just seven, despite a buoyant home crowd. The She Cranes stretched their half time lead to 24–15.
The She Cranes demonstrated composure and tactical discipline, delivering a masterclass in mid court play by scoring 11 goals in the third quarter to extend their lead to 35–22. Malawi rallied in the fourth quarter, with both teams scoring 11 goals, but Uganda comfortably closed out the match with a 46–33 victory.
Rising superstar Shadia Nassanga Ssegujja was named player of the match after an outstanding performance against Malawi as the She Cranes progressed to the final to face the SPAR Proteas.
In previous losses to South Africa, Uganda had started slowly and trailed from the first whistle, making a strong start crucial to stay competitive early and build momentum. The SPAR Proteas are a physical side, and the She Cranes will need to match them physically while avoiding unnecessary penalties.
Uganda results at 2025 Africa Netball Cup (women):
Uganda She Cranes 46–45 Kenya Divas
Uganda She Cranes 59–38 Zimbabwe Gems
Uganda She Cranes 47–39 Namibia Desert Jewels
Uganda She Cranes 46–33 Malawi Queens
Uganda results at 2025 Africa Netball Cup (men):
Uganda The Rock 40–39 Botswana
Zimbabwe Golden Flyers 37–33 Uganda The Rock
Uganda The Rock 41–48 South Africa Puma Proteas
Women’s semi finals result:
South Africa SPAR Proteas 84–32 Zimbabwe Gems
Men’s semi finals result:
South Africa 46–41 Kenya
Zimbabwe 44–34 Eswatini
Sunday, December 14, 2025 fixtures:
2025 Africa Netball Cup finals (men)
South Africa vs Zimbabwe at 5 PM EAT and 4 PM CAT
2025 Africa Netball Cup finals (women)
Uganda vs South Africa at 7 PM EAT and 6 PM CAT
