Nigeria’s Green Hawks continued their historic journey on the international netball stage on Sunday, falling 68-30 to world No. 6 Uganda in their second match of the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Africa Qualifier in Nairobi.
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The encounter represented another demanding examination for Nigeria’s first-ever national netball team, coming barely 24 hours after the Green Hawks opened their campaign with a 61-40 defeat to hosts Kenya.
Uganda’s She Cranes brought significantly greater international experience into Sunday’s contest. The East Africans are currently ranked sixth in the world and have already secured their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Despite the final score, the match provided Nigeria with another opportunity to compete against one of the world’s leading netball nations as the Green Hawks continue to build experience in their maiden international tournament.
There was also a strong Nigerian presence in the stands, with Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Ambassador Danlami Ibrahim, attending the match to support the team.
His presence provided another boost for a squad carrying Nigeria’s flag at this level for the first time. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identifies Ibrahim as the country’s envoy to Kenya.
The Green Hawks’ participation in Nairobi represents a landmark moment for Nigerian netball, while information from the Nigerian delegation also identifies Nigeria as the first West African country to compete at the Africa Netball Cup.
After facing Kenya and Uganda in their opening two matches, Nigeria must quickly turn its attention to another major African opponent.
The Green Hawks face Malawi on Monday, September 21, before completing their Pool 2 programme against Zambia on Tuesday, September 22.
The opening two matches have demonstrated the size of the challenge confronting a team at the beginning of its international journey. But they have also given the Green Hawks something invaluable: competitive minutes against established African and global opposition.
For Nigeria, Nairobi is therefore about more than immediate results.
The Green Hawks are learning on the biggest stage available to them — one quarter, one match and one opponent at a time.
