Uganda’s senior women’s national netball team, the She Cranes, maintained their perfect start to the 2026 Africa Netball Championship with a 58-40 victory over Zambia at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on Monday.
The win came a day after Uganda opened their campaign with a commanding 68-30 victory over tournament debutants Nigeria, putting the She Cranes in a strong position early in the competition.
Uganda started Sunday’s match strongly, using quick and long centre passes to unsettle the Zambian defence.
Goal shooter Christine Namulumba and goal attacker Shadiah Nagujja led Uganda’s attack as the She Cranes moved the ball swiftly through the court to take a commanding 22-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Zambia improved in the second quarter, finding more space and increasing their scoring rate. However, Uganda remained in control, with centre Maggie Bagala dictating the tempo.
Defenders Shaffie Nalwanja at goal keeper and Gloria Ayaa at goal defence, supported by wing defender Nassim Mutesi, applied pressure on the Zambian attack to limit their scoring opportunities.
Uganda went into the halftime break with a 35-18 advantage.
The third quarter was more evenly contested, with Zambia managing to trade goals with the Ugandans as both sides tightened their defence.
The She Cranes entered the final quarter leading 44-29 before the technical bench made a series of changes to maintain the team’s intensity.
Rachael Nanyonga replaced Nashim Khadala at wing attack, while Alice Isoto took over from Namulumba at goal shooter. Mutesi was also replaced by Evelyn Aitesi.
The changes helped Uganda regain control in the final quarter as they increased the pressure and pulled further away from Zambia to seal a 58-40 victory.
She Cranes captain Nanyonga says the team wanted more goals but their opponents were a bit tough.
‘We wanted to score more goals, we wanted something like 100 goals but settled for this small margin, they gave us a tough challenge,’ she said.
The result gives the She Cranes two wins from two matches as they continue their pursuit of another continental title.
Uganda will next face hosts Kenya in an East African derby at the Kasarani Indoor Arena today, with the She Cranes seeking to maintain their unbeaten run.
The victory over Zambia follows Uganda’s emphatic opening-day win against Nigeria, in which the She Cranes led 29-17 after the first quarter before extending their advantage to win 68-30.