By Edwin Mbewe
NAIROBI-(MaraviPost)-Drama has engulfed the 2026 Africa Netball Cup in Nairobi after the Kenya Netball Federation reportedly shut the gates of the Kasarani Indoor Arena and withdrew team transport in protest over a late change to the qualification format for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
The development has plunged the African World Cup qualifiers into uncertainty, with teams reportedly instructed to remain in their hotels as netball authorities and participating associations seek clarity over the revised competition structure.
According to a report by Veronica Gwaze in Nairobi, Kenya, published by The Herald and seen by Maravi Post, matches scheduled to continue at Kasarani have been thrown into doubt after the hosts instructed teams to stay in their hotels.
The report says the arena will be closed and team shuttles withdrawn following growing displeasure among participating netball associations over changes to the qualification rules during the tournament.
The dispute centres on how the Africa Netball Cup is being used simultaneously as the continental championship and the African regional qualifier for the Sydney 2027 Netball World Cup.
What were the original rules?
Before the tournament began, World Netball’s published information stated that the African regional qualifier would run from September 19 to 26 in Nairobi, involving 10 teams.
The original qualification arrangement was that the top two teams at the end of the African qualifier would be invited to compete at the 2027 Netball World Cup.
South Africa and Uganda, however, had already secured their World Cup places through their World Netball rankings as of December 1, 2025. Consequently, if either or both finished in qualifying positions in Nairobi, the next eligible teams would take the available places.
The tournament was divided into two pools:
- Pool 1: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania
- Pool 2: Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Nigeria.
The competition format provided for the leading teams in each pool to progress to the knockout stage. World Netball’s competition information subsequently confirmed that the top two teams from each pool would advance to the semi-finals and final.
That structure appeared to give Malawi and Namibia a direct route to World Cup qualification because South Africa and Uganda had already qualified.
The format changes
The controversy erupted after Africa Netball and World Netball introduced a revised arrangement during the tournament.
Under the new structure reported on Thursday, the pool winners — already-qualified South Africa and Uganda — would contest the Africa Netball Cup final, while the second- and third-placed teams from the respective pools would cross over in separate World Cup qualification matches.
The revised qualification fixtures were reported as:
Namibia vs Kenya and
Malawi vs Zimbabwe
with the winners fighting for the remaining World Cup places.
Africa Netball reportedly acknowledged that combining the continental championship with the World Cup qualification tournament had created complications.
The organisation said the combined format had originally been adopted partly to address financial challenges facing member countries, but concluded that the arrangement had become impractical and created confusion.
Malawi and Namibia initially declared qualified
The dispute became even more complicated after World Netball itself announced on September 24 that Malawi and Namibia had qualified to be invited to the 2027 Netball World Cup.
According to World Netball, the competition regulations stated that the top two teams from each pool would advance to the semi-finals.
The resulting semi-final pairings were:
South Africa vs Malawi
Uganda vs Namibia
Because South Africa and Uganda had already qualified through their world rankings, World Netball said Malawi and Namibia’s advancement to the semi-finals meant they had qualified to be invited to Sydney 2027.
That announcement appeared to settle the qualification issue — but the situation subsequently changed again.
Malawi questions the rule change
The Netball Association of Malawi has reportedly challenged the late alteration, arguing that teams entered the competition on the basis of qualification criteria that had already been published.
According to Nyasa Times, NAM General Secretary Yamikani Kauma wrote to Africa Netball and World Netball seeking clarification over the changes.
NAM reportedly argued that the issue was not simply Malawi’s qualification status but the integrity, transparency and consistent application of the competition rules.
The association also questioned why additional World Cup qualification fixtures were being introduced after the tournament had already begun.
Zimbabwe Gems caught in the middle
Zimbabwe have also been affected by the changes.
The Gems finished third in Pool 1 after losing 31-47 to Namibia before recovering strongly against Tanzania with a 73-28 victory.
Under the revised arrangement, finishing third did not automatically eliminate Zimbabwe from the World Cup race. Instead, the new crossover system kept the Gems in contention through the qualification playoff against Malawi.
The sudden changes have therefore altered the significance of results that teams achieved under the original competition structure.
Kenya protest adds to crisis
The reported decision by the Kenya Netball Federation to close Kasarani and withdraw team transport now threatens to turn the dispute into a full-blown tournament crisis.
The Herald report says teams were instructed to remain in their hotels, with matches unable to proceed as planned while the dispute is addressed.
The development comes just days after Kenya hosted the opening matches of the African qualifier, which was scheduled to run through September 26.
World Netball had initially promoted the Nairobi tournament as the African pathway to Sydney 2027, with two World Cup places available to eligible teams.
A tournament now facing a crucial test
What began as a continental championship carrying two World Cup qualification places has now become a dispute over the interpretation and timing of the qualification regulations.
For Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, the changes have direct consequences for their World Cup ambitions.
For the organisers, the immediate challenge is to establish a qualification format that the participating associations accept and that is consistent with the regulations communicated before and during the tournament.
As the standoff continues in Nairobi, the future of the remaining matches — and the process for determining Africa’s representatives at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney — remains under intense scrutiny.
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