Team Kenya Netball/ HANDOUT
Kenya’s drive to return to the global netball stage has received a significant boost as the country moves closer to hosting the 2026 Africa Men’s and Women’s Netball Cup — a key qualification tournament for next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
Scheduled for September 19–26, the continental championship will feature 12 men’s and women’s teams, with top performers securing slots for the 17th Netball World Cup, set for August 25 to September 5, 2027.
Kenya last appeared at the Netball World Cup during the 2015 edition in Liverpool, England, where the national team finished 13th. The hosts now hope leveraging home advantage will help them secure a qualification spot and end an 11-year absence from the global stage.
The Confederation of African Netball Associations (CANA) inspection team has endorsed Kenya’s readiness after evaluating key Nairobi facilities, including proposed venues at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and the Moi International Sports Centre Indoor Arena in Kasarani.
Africa Netball Acting President Rebekka Goagoses praised the country's preparation and venue options.
“Infrastructure development has always been my soft spot having been a former player. The infrastructure in Kenya is overwhelming because we have so much to choose from, and it is very assuring which makes me feel comfortable that Kenya is ready to host,” Goagoses said.
The assessment also covered training grounds, accommodation, transport, and medical facilities. World Netball representative Joan Smith acknowledged the backing from key sporting bodies.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming support from the Kenya National Olympic Committee and Kenya Sports Council and it's not just for Kenyan but for African and world netball,” Smith noted.
Hosting the tournament adds to Kenya's expanding portfolio of major international events, following its successful staging of the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships, World Athletics Continental Tour meets, and various international rugby, volleyball, and football competitions.
Kenya Netball Federation President Immaculate Kabutha believes hosting on home soil will accelerate the sport’s local growth while giving national teams a top-tier competitive platform.
The federation is also anticipating facility upgrades, including the installation of a world-class wooden sprung floor at the Ulinzi Complex for the men’s team—a surface donated by World Netball in partnership with Netball South Africa following the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
“The infrastructure will help us improve our standards and give our teams an environment similar to what they experience internationally,” Kabutha said.
Africa’s elite netball nations—alongside global powerhouses like defending world champions Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa, and Uganda—have already qualified for the 2027 World Cup, leaving remaining contenders to battle through regional qualification pathways.
