NAIROBI, KENYA – Both the SPAR Proteas and the Protea Warriors have successfully navigated their respective pools to book their spots in the finals of the 2026 Africa Netball Cup. However, the path to Saturday’s climactic showdowns came with an unexpected twist, following a dramatic late-night restructure of the tournament format in Nairobi.
The Late-Night Format Overhaul
Tensions ran high late on Wednesday evening as Africa Netball organizers and team managers met behind closed doors to resolve a structural dilemma. Operating as a dual-purpose event, the tournament serves to crown the continental champion while simultaneously acting as the African qualification pathway for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
The original road map featured a traditional semifinal stage, which would have seen South Africa play Malawi, and Uganda take on Namibia. However, following intervention and advice from World Netball, the tournament structure underwent a dramatic 11th-hour overhaul.
Because South Africa and Uganda clinched the top spots in Pool 1 and Pool 2 respectively, and both nations have already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup via global rankings, World Netball advised that sending the two table-toppers directly to the final would better preserve the integrity of the qualification stakes. Consequently, the remaining pool contenders will now battle it out in cross-pool playoffs on Friday to determine who claims the final two tickets to the global showpiece in Sydney.
SPAR Proteas Focus on Uganda
The structural shift means the SPAR Proteas, who concluded their flawless Pool 1 campaign with a clinical 55-33 victory over Namibia on Wednesday, now enjoy an extended rest period to prepare for the title decider.
Against Namibia, Head Coach Jenny van Dyk once again utilized her squad depth, leading 33-16 at halftime and successfully rotating combinations in the second half to close out the physical encounter.
“We won’t be playing against Malawi today in the semi-finals anymore, but we’ve got our work cut out for the Uganda game on Saturday,” said Van Dyk. “Luckily, the players get to rest a little bit now and we also get a little bit more time with them to train together and to really solidify our combinations and plans that we set out for the finals.”
Protea Warriors Charge to the Final
The South African men’s team has matched the women’s success stride for stride. The undefeated Protea Warriors completed a dominant group phase run, which included a commanding 50-40 victory over Malawi, to confidently book their place in the men’s final.
Assistant coach Siyabonga Khuzwayo expressed satisfaction with the team’s unbeaten campaign but remains fiercely focused on the ultimate goal. “So far so good for us. I am happy we have won all our games. We just need to correct errors and we are ready to go in the finals,” Khuzwayo noted. “They have raised the bar high so it is no longer a walk in the park.”
The Warriors are now set to lock horns with a resilient Eswatini side, who boosted their own campaign with a tightly contested win over Uganda to reach the championship match.
The Finals Schedule
South African fans can clear their Saturday schedules, with both national teams vying for continental glory in back-to-back finals. All matches are available globally and streamed LIVE and FREE on Discover Sport.
Saturday, 26 September 2026
- 16:00 (SA Time): Men’s Final – Protea Warriors vs Eswatini
- 18:00 (SA Time): Women’s Final – SPAR Proteas vs Uganda
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