Netball World Cup Qualifiers: Malawi crush Nigeria 82–22 in Nairobi

Nigeria’s national netball team suffered a heavy defeat at the Africa Netball Cup and Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifiers, losing 82–22 to Malawi in their Pool 2 encounter in Nairobi on Monday.

The result saw Malawi maintain their perfect start to the qualifying campaign and secure their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney. According to World Netball, the Africa qualifier is being held in Kenya from 19–26 September, with Nigeria among the 10 participating nations.

Nigeria overwhelmed from the start

The Queens dominated from the opening whistle, racing to a 21–6 lead after the first quarter as the Green Hawks struggled to contain Malawi’s attack, and the gap continued to widen. By half-time, the Malawians had established a 40–11 advantage, leaving Nigeria with a steep task after the interval.

The third quarter proved even more difficult for Nigeria as Malawi scored 23 goals to Nigeria’s three, taking the score to 63–14. The Queens went further to add another 19 goals in the final quarter to complete an emphatic 82–22 victory, a 60-goal winning margin.

Quarter-by-quarter score

1st quarter: Malawi 21–6 Nigeria
2nd quarter: Malawi 40–11 Nigeria
3rd quarter: Malawi 63–14 Nigeria
4th quarter: Malawi 82–22 Nigeria
For Nigeria, the defeat follows their earlier losses to Kenya (61–40) and Uganda (68–30) in Pool 2.

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Up next

The Green Hawks of Nigeria battle Zambia next on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. While Pool 2 action concludes with Uganda vs Malawi on Wednesday, 23 September.

According to World Netball, South Africa and Uganda had already qualified for Sydney 2027 based on their world ranking, while the Africa qualifier determines which additional teams are invited to the tournament.