The dust has barely settled on the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, but Uganda’s She-Cranes already have another major continental assignment on the horizon. The Africa Netball Cup 2026, scheduled for September 19-26 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring together 10 nations with more than continental honours at stake. For several teams, the tournament will also determine who joins South Africa and Uganda at the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027. Uganda’s She-Cranes return to the continental stage having been reminded in Glasgow that South Africa remains the benchmark in African netball. The SPAR Proteas finished fifth overall at the Commonwealth Games after defeating Uganda 62-54 in the classification playoff. The She-Cranes settled for sixth, while Malawi finished seventh after beating Scotland 54-47. The She-Cranes had entered Glasgow with a strong pedigree. The She-Cranes finished fifth at the 2023 Netball World Cup and won the 2025 Celtic Cup, demonstrating that they can compete with and defeat established opponents. Yet South Africa again proved a stubborn obstacle. Nairobi, however, presents a different challenge. South Africa and Uganda have already secured their places at the 2027 World Cup on the strength of their rankings, leaving only two African qualification slots available. The two best-placed nations outside the already-qualified pair will claim those tickets. Hosts Kenya will headline Pool A alongside South Africa, Malawi, Namibia and Nigeria, while Uganda leads Pool B with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and neighbours Tanzania. The tournament format should provide little room for complacency. Teams will play round-robin matches within their pools before entering crossover contests. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals and then the final, while the remaining nations battle for positions five to ten. South Africa and Uganda begin as the highest-ranked teams, but Malawi and Zimbabwe appear the strongest contenders for the remaining World Cup places. Namibia and Zambia possess enough quality to upset that order, while Kenya will hope home support can inspire a deep run. For Uganda, the tournament will also be another examination of the progress made under head coach Rashid Mubiru, who took over from veteran Fred Mugerwa in 2025. The She-Cranes have increasingly built their identity around athleticism, physical strength and a more sophisticated tactical approach. Those qualities helped establish Uganda among Africa’s leading netball nations. But Glasgow exposed the narrow margins separating the continent’s best. Nairobi therefore offers Uganda more than a chance to win another continental title. It is an opportunity to turn Commonwealth disappointment into World Cup momentum and prove that the gap with South Africa can finally be closed.The post From setback to redemption appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.