Nigeria’s Green Hawks earn African netball plaudits despite 61-40 loss to Kenya

Nigeria’s first national netball team, the Green Hawks, may have lost 61-40 to hosts Kenya, but their historic debut at the African Netball Cup in Nairobi has received praise and encouragement from across the continental netball community.

The Green Hawks took on Kenya on Saturday at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in their first Group 2 match of the African Qualifier for the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027. World Netball confirms Nigeria as one of 10 countries competing in the tournament from September 19 to 26.

For a Nigerian team newly assembled for an international competition, the match represented an important milestone. According to information from the Nigerian delegation, the appearance also made Nigeria the first West African country to compete in the African Netball Cup.

Despite the defeat, Nigeria’s performance attracted praise from competition officials and representatives, including officials from World Netball and Africa Netball, who encouraged the newcomers to build on their initial display as the tournament progresses.

In another significant moment after the final whistle, the president of Africa Netball congratulated the Green Hawks and joined the Nigerian delegation in taking photographs, adding to the sense of recognition surrounding the country’s first appearance.

Nigerian sports authorities also celebrated the milestone.

General Director of the National Sports Commission, His Excellency. Bukola Olopade, whose position is confirmed by the federal government and contemporary sports reports, sent a personal message of encouragement to the President of the Nigerian Netball Federation, Dr. Esther Oluwatoyin Aluko, after the match.

“We are all proud of you and the team,” Olopade told Aluko.

The message has added meaning given the role of the National Sports Commission in supporting the emergence of Nigeria’s national netball programme. Before the tournament, Aluko had publicly praised the Commission for providing a conducive environment for the revival and development of the sport.

However, Nigeria will have little time to celebrate its historic first appearance.

The Green Hawks return to the court on Sunday, September 20 against Uganda at 6:00 pm East Africa time (4:00 pm Nigeria time). They will then face Malawi on Monday before completing their Group 2 program against Zambia on Tuesday.

The Kenya result therefore represents a beginning rather than a conclusion.

Nigeria has played its first match. The challenge now for the Green Hawks is to learn, improve and grow with each game on the African stage.