Months of planning, rebuilding and preparation will give way to 60 minutes of history on Saturday evening when Nigeria’s first-ever national netball team, the Green Hawks, steps onto the court against hosts Kenya at the Africa Netball Championship and 2027 World Cup Qualifier.
Nigeria arrived in Nairobi on Friday, September 18. It proceeded directly to the team hotel, where the players had a brief rest before turning their full attention to their opening assignment.
The Green Hawks face Kenya at 6:00 pm East Africa Time (4:00 pm Nigerian time) on Saturday, September 19, at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. World Netball’s official schedule confirms the fixture as Nigeria’s Pool 2 opener.
For Nigeria, the occasion is bigger than an opening match. Every pass, interception and goal will represent a first for a country making its competitive international debut with a national netball team.
Head coach Alison Akinrinsola wants that historic significance to inspire rather than distract her players after preparations in London that included valuable tests against Jamaica, Pakistan and Scotland.
“We have seen where we are, we know the areas we need to improve, and we are working hard to get better,” Akinrinsola said ahead of the competition. “We are not going there just to participate. We are going there to compete and fight for Nigeria.”
The challenge could hardly be more demanding. Kenya will have home support, while Nigeria is entering unfamiliar territory. But the Green Hawks know their first night in Nairobi is an opportunity to announce themselves rather than simply admire the occasion.
NNF President Dr. Esther Oluwatoyin Aluko has urged the players to remain focused, disciplined and determined, while giving special credit to the National Sports Commission for supporting the Federation’s drive to revive netball and establish Nigeria on the international stage.
“The support of the National Sports Commission has been very important to this journey,” Aluko said. “For Nigeria to be here today with its first national netball team shows what can happen when emerging sports are allowed to grow. We are deeply appreciative, but now our players must go onto the court and make this opportunity count.”
After Kenya, there will be little recovery time. Nigeria meets Uganda at 6 pm on Sunday, September 20, before facing Malawi at 4 pm on Monday, September 21, with Zambia at 2 pm on Tuesday, September 22 completing the Green Hawks’ Pool 2 programme.
The stakes extend beyond continental honours. Ten women’s teams are competing in Nairobi, and the tournament forms Africa’s qualification pathway to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney. South Africa and Uganda have already qualified through their world rankings, while the tournament will determine the next two eligible African invitees to Sydney.
For Nigeria, however, Sydney can wait for a few hours.
First comes Kenya. First comes 6 pm. And first comes something Nigerian netball has never experienced before:
a national team walking onto an international court with the green and white on its chest and history waiting at the first whistle.
