Nigeria women’s netball head coach Akinrinlola Alison Rosemarie has admitted that the Green Hawks were outclassed during their historic appearance at the 2026 Africa Netball Cup and World Cup Qualifier in Nairobi but insists the experience must become the foundation for the country’s future growth.
Nigeria arrived in Kenya as international newcomers, fielding a senior national netball team in competitive international action for the first time.
“We were schooled,” Rosemarie admitted as she reflected on the gulf in experience between Nigeria and Africa’s established netball nations.
The Green Hawks opened their campaign with a 61-40 defeat to hosts Kenya, having trailed 37-20 at half-time before producing an improved third quarter.
They subsequently lost 68-30 to Uganda before Malawi delivered an even tougher lesson with an 82-22 victory. Malawi led 40-11 at half-time and eventually completed a 60-goal winning margin.
For Rosemarie, however, those results must be viewed alongside where Nigeria’s netball programme currently stands.
The Green Hawks were only assembled this year and prepared in London before travelling to Nairobi, where they were drawn alongside Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia. Before the tournament, Rosemarie had already acknowledged the areas requiring improvement.
“We have seen where we are, we know the areas we need to improve, and we are working hard to get better,” she said. “We are not going there just to participate. We are going there to compete and fight for Nigeria.”
The Nairobi competition carries added significance because it doubles as Africa’s qualifier for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney. South Africa and Uganda had already qualified through the world rankings, with additional African places available through the tournament.
Rosemarie believes Nigeria’s difficult introduction should therefore be treated as an education rather than an endpoint.
The Green Hawks went to Nairobi to discover where they stand.
The results have provided a painful answer, and now, for Nigeria’s newest national team, the real work begins.
