Kenya Net Kings beat Malawi as Divas eye Namibia scalp for World Cup ticket

Kenya Net Kings kept their hopes of bagging the Africa Netball Cup bronze medal alive after powering past Malawi 44-31 on Thursday at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.

The victory booked Kenya a bronze-medal showdown with Uganda on Friday, setting up another East African rivalry as the Net Kings seek to finish the 2026 championship on the podium.

Coached by Peter Oloo, Net Kings survived a competitive opening half before pulling away decisively after the interval.

The hosts led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter and were ahead 20-17 at half-time, but a dominant third quarter put the contest beyond Malawi's reach.

Kenya scored 12 goals in the third quarter while restricting Malawi to just four, opening a commanding 32-21 advantage heading into the final period.

Goal shooter Christovin Juma was central to Kenya's attacking display, repeatedly finding the target under pressure, while goal attack Mbithi supplied crucial goals throughout the match.

Kenya continued to apply pressure in the final quarter, extending their advantage to 39-27 with just over five minutes remaining. Malawi briefly threatened to reduce the arrears, but Kenya's defence led by Isaac Langat held firm.

The hosts were also forced to play with six players for two minutes after goalkeeper Langat was shown a yellow card with Kenya comfortably ahead.

Rather than allowing the setback to unsettle them, Kenya maintained their composure and closed out the match.

Mbithi scored Kenya's 44th goal before Malawi added a late consolation, leaving the hosts 13 goals clear at the final whistle.

Oloo observed that Kenya had to change their approach after an error-strewn opening half.

“Today’s match against Malawi was a very tough one,” he said. “We thought it was going to be easy, but the Malawi team really came back strong.”

The coach admitted Kenya's long passes and turnovers had caused problems during the first two quarters.

“We had long balls, we gave a lot of mispasses and we had a lot of turnovers, but we did not convert them,” Oloo added.

The tactical adjustment came after the break, with Kenya opting for shorter passes and a more disciplined defensive structure.

“In the third and fourth quarters we changed the strategy. Instead of the long balls, we were playing short balls, and then our defence was also good, both in the midcourt and at the defensive circle,” said Oloo.

He was equally confident when Langat was sent off temporarily, saying Kenya's sizeable lead meant there was little reason for panic.

Langat, who played a key role in Kenya's defensive effort, explained that the team had worked extensively on stopping Malawi's attack.

“We have been working on our defence,” he disclosed. “They were strong, so we tried to use our hands.”

With Uganda now standing between Kenya and another bronze medal, Langat acknowledged the challenge, but backed his teammates to prevail.

“Uganda game is a tricky one but we know how we are going to tackle it,” said Oloo. “We have managed to analyse our videos, starting from the past matches and even the most recent one that we had in this championship.”

Net Kings will therefore return to Kasarani on Friday seeking revenge and a podium finish after losing to Eswatini in bronze-medal match in Malawi last year.

Meanwhile, Kenya's women's team, the Divas, face an even bigger assignment after their historic victory over Zambia on Wednesday.

Ranked 21st in the world, the Divas shocked world number 17 Zambia to finish third in Pool Two and move into the World Cup qualification playoff against Namibia, ranked 14th globally.

The women's competition took an unexpected turn on Thursday when Africa Netball cancelled the scheduled semi-finals.

Under the revised fixture, Uganda and South Africa will proceed directly to the final, while Kenya will take on Namibia and Malawi will meet Zimbabwe in World Cup qualification playoffs on Friday.

For the Divas, the Namibia match is effectively a ticket to the 2027 Netball World Cup.

Goal attack Doreen Akinyi described the victory over Zambia as a landmark moment for the team.

“It was history,” Akinyi said on Thursday. “I felt really excited, really happy, really proud because we have never beaten Zambia before.”

Akinyi credited Kenya's defensive adjustment for the upset, adding that the team studied Zambia's approach and quickly changed tactics to prevent the opponents from advancing the ball.

The Divas are now preparing for another acid test against a fast Namibia side.

“Tomorrow's game is going to be difficult. It's going to be tough, but we will be there. We will deliver our all,” predicted Akinyi.

She revealed that Kenya intend to use zone defence to counter Namibia's speed.

The match carries particular significance for Akinyi and her teammates because the Divas have never won an Africa Cup medal, with fifth place their previous best finish.

“It's really big because it's our only obstacle to the Netball World Cup next year,” said Akinyi. “So we have to give it our all, we have to do everything so that we can win that match.”

The Divas will also have the backing of a home crowd at Kasarani, although Akinyi admitted playing before Kenyan supporters brings its own pressure.

“There's so much pressure,” she said. “Composure, composure above all things.”

She noted that the players rely on one another to recover from mistakes and remain focused during difficult moments.

As the Net Kings prepare for Uganda and the Divas get ready for Namibia, Friday promises to be a decisive day for Kenya's netball campaign, with a bronze medal and a place at the 2027 World Cup both within reach.