Uganda’s newly crowned African netball champions, the She Cranes, returned home on Sunday evening to a heroes’ welcome after ending an eight-year wait for continental glory.
The She Cranes arrived at the National Council of Sports (NCS) headquarters in Lugogo at 6:30pm, where they were received by Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda and her executive.
Uganda reclaimed the Africa Netball Championship crown with a dramatic 56–53 victory over defending champions and arch-rivals South Africa at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on September 26.
The triumph marked Uganda’s fourth African title, following previous championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018.
It was also a significant response to South Africa, who had defeated Uganda at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ucanda said the team had studied that defeat and developed a tactical response that was executed successfully in Nairobi.
“It’s a defining moment for netball. After the loss to South Africa in Glasgow, Scotland, we knew why we lost and how to beat them.”
She explained that Uganda deliberately adopted a lower passing game to counter South Africa’s height advantage.
“Their team is of tall players, so we employed a lower passing tactic to punish them,” Ucanda said.
The She Cranes maintained control throughout the final, refusing to allow the Proteas to dictate the contest.
Nasiimu Mutesi said the players had agreed beforehand that surrendering an early lead could give South Africa the confidence to take control.
“After the Glasgow loss, we had talks as players. We agreed not to give them a chance to lead the game because we realised that they panic too much when trailing.”
Uganda led in all four quarters to secure the championship.
Nassanga leads Uganda’s individual honours
Shadia Nassanga Ssegujja, popularly known as Miima, was at the heart of Uganda’s success, finishing the tournament as the top scorer and collecting the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
She was also named the tournament’s Best Shooter.
Margaret Bagaala added another individual accolade for Uganda after being named the tournament’s Best Mid-court Player.
The championship also secured Uganda qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, providing an immediate boost to the team’s preparations for the global tournament.
Head coach Rashid Mubiru said the continental triumph had strengthened the squad’s belief ahead of the World Cup.
“The Africa title is a huge boost towards our preparations for the 2027 Sydney World Cup.
The motivation, belief and confidence are gradually going up, and by World Cup time, we shall have the best.”
Each member of the She Cranes squad received a US$100 bonus following the title-winning campaign.
Eight years after Lusaka
Uganda’s latest triumph has revived memories of the She Cranes’ dominant 2018 campaign in Lusaka, Zambia, when they successfully defended their continental crown under the leadership of Peace Proscovia.
Uganda swept Pool 2 in Lusaka, defeating Nigeria 68–30, Zambia 59–40, hosts Kenya 62–42 and Malawi 54–49 to finish unbeaten with eight points before going on to retain the title.
The latest success therefore reconnects the She Cranes with their previous continental triumphs in Botswana in 2014, Uganda in 2017 and Zambia in 2018.
The Rock return with bronze
Uganda’s men’s national team, The Rock, also returned from Nairobi with a medal after finishing third to claim bronze.
The result represents another step forward for the men’s team, who made their debut at the championship in Lilongwe, Malawi, in 2024 and finished fifth.
Their bronze medal in Nairobi was therefore their first podium finish at only their second appearance.
