Nigeria heads to Nairobi for a historic campaign against Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia, with Sydney 2027 within reach.
Nigeria’s Green Hawks are set to begin a landmark international campaign in Nairobi as the country’s first-ever national netball team takes its place in the qualification pathway for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
For Nigerian netball, the campaign represents more than a series of international fixtures. It is the next step in the development of a national programme that is creating a pathway from grassroots participation to international competition.
The Green Hawks will face Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia in Nairobi, with the campaign providing Nigeria with its first opportunity to compete alongside established netball nations in pursuit of a place at the 2027 World Cup.
A HISTORIC DEBUT
The Green Hawks arrive in Nairobi carrying the significance of a first.
Nigeria has never previously fielded a national netball team at this level. The players selected to represent the country are therefore entering territory that will become part of the history of Nigerian sport.
The team will wear the national colours and compete under the Green Hawks identity as Nigeria begins to establish itself within the international netball community.
At the heart of the campaign is the opportunity to gain valuable international experience while testing the progress of the country’s emerging national programme.
THE ROAD TO SYDNEY
The campaign forms part of Nigeria’s journey towards the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
The road begins in Nairobi, where Nigeria will face a demanding group of opponents with established experience in international netball.
Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia provide the Green Hawks with an opportunity to measure themselves against teams from across the region and to gain the competitive exposure required at international level.
Every fixture will form part of Nigeria’s learning curve as the national team begins to build experience, develop its identity and compete on the international stage.
THE GREEN HAWKS
The Green Hawks are more than a newly formed national team.
They represent the beginning of a national pathway for Nigerian netball.
The Nigeria Netball Federation is focused on developing the game from the grassroots, creating opportunities for participation and building structures through which players can progress towards higher levels of competition.
The national team sits at the top of that developing pathway.
Its international campaign provides a platform for players to represent Nigeria while helping establish the experience and foundations upon which future national teams can be built.
A NEW GENERATION OF PLAYERS
For the players selected to the Green Hawks, Nairobi represents an opportunity that few Nigerian netball players have previously experienced.
International competition brings a different level of intensity, preparation and exposure.
The campaign will allow the players to compete against experienced opposition, learn from the demands of international competition and contribute to the development of Nigeria’s national programme.
It is also an important moment for the next generation.
Young players watching the Green Hawks compete can now see a pathway towards wearing the Nigerian colours themselves.
That pathway begins with participation, continues through development and competition, and can ultimately lead to national representation.
BEYOND THE CAMPAIGN
The significance of the Nairobi campaign extends beyond the results of individual matches.
Nigeria’s participation creates an international reference point for the country’s developing netball system.
The experience gained by the players and coaching team can contribute to future preparation, player development and the continued strengthening of national competition.
It also creates greater visibility for the sport and opens opportunities to connect the national team with the wider Nigerian netball community.
The objective is not simply to arrive on the international stage.
It is to build the foundations for Nigeria to remain there.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The Green Hawks now prepare to take the court in Nairobi carrying the hopes of a growing Nigerian netball community.
This is the first national team.
The first international campaign.
The beginning of a pathway towards a new future for the sport in Nigeria.
And with Sydney 2027 on the horizon, the journey starts here.
Nairobi is the starting point.
The Green Hawks are ready.
Nigeria’s international netball journey has begun.
NIGERIA NETBALL FEDERATION
Developing Netball. Empowering Communities. Building Champions.
