Malawi Queens to play for bronze after semi-final defeat to South Africa

Malawi’s Queens beaten by South Africa in Africa Netball Cup semi-final

Malawi’s Queens have missed out on a place in the Africa Netball Cup final after a 62-46 defeat to South Africa in their semi-final in Nairobi.

The Queens started well, matching South Africa throughout the first quarter as the sides finished level at 14-14.

South Africa began to take control in the second quarter, opening up a four-goal lead to go into half-time 29-25 ahead.

The gap widened further in the third quarter as South Africa extended their advantage to 44-35, and despite Malawi’s efforts to respond, they were unable to significantly close the gap in the final period.

South Africa held firm through the closing stages to seal a 62-46 win and book their place in the final.

Malawi will now play in the bronze-medal match, facing the loser of the other semi-final between Uganda and Namibia as they look to finish the tournament on the podium.

Despite the semi-final defeat, Malawi have already secured an important outcome from the tournament – their run to the semi-finals has confirmed their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The Queens will now be looking to end their campaign with a third-place finish, while using the tournament as a building block ahead of their return to the global stage next year.