By Edwin Mbewe
NAIROBI-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s national netball team, the Queens, have qualified for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, following an intervention by the world governing body, World Netball, after confusion over the competition format at the ongoing 2026 Africa Netball Cup in Nairobi, Kenya.
The development comes after World Netball and Africa Netball confirmed that Malawi and Namibia have qualified to be invited to compete at the 2027 Netball World Cup after progressing to the semi-finals of the African qualifier.
In a statement published on World Netball’s official Facebook page and seen by MaraviPost, the governing body said the qualification follows the competition regulations governing the African qualifier.
“Following the conclusion of the Pool stages at the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 (NWC2027) Qualifier Africa, World Netball (WN) and Africa Netball can confirm that Malawi and Namibia have qualified to be invited by WN to compete at the NWC2027.”
World Netball said the regulations provide for the top two teams from each pool to advance to the semi-finals and final matches.
Based on the pool-stage results, the semi-final line-up was confirmed as:
South Africa vs Malawi
Uganda vs Namibia
However, South Africa and Uganda had already secured their places at the 2027 World Cup based on their World Netball rankings as of 1 December 2025.
This meant that Malawi and Namibia’s progression to the semi-finals automatically secured their qualification for the global tournament.
“Due to the fact that South Africa and Uganda have already qualified for the NWC2027, based on their WN World Ranking as of 1st December 2025, Malawi and Namibia’s progression to the NWC2027 Qualifier Africa Semi-Finals means that they have qualified to be invited to the NWC2027,” World Netball said.
SEMI-FINALS ORDERED TO GO AHEAD
In another major development, World Netball has directed that the semi-final matches, which had previously been cancelled by Africa Netball, should be played as originally scheduled.
The intervention comes only hours after the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) formally wrote to Africa Netball and World Netball seeking clarification over the decision to alter the competition arrangements while the tournament was already underway.
NAM General Secretary Yamikani Kauma Khungwa wrote to the two governing bodies requesting clarity on why the rules and regulations governing the Africa Netball Cup appeared to have been changed during the competition.
The latest determination now clears the uncertainty surrounding Malawi’s World Cup qualification and restores the semi-final fixtures.
The Queens are therefore set to face South Africa in the semi-final, while Uganda will take on Namibia.
For Malawi, the development ends a period of uncertainty and confirms the Queens’ place among the teams heading to Sydney, Australia, for the 2027 Netball World Cup.
More to follow as the Africa Netball Cup drama unfolds in Nairobi.
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