2025 Celtic Cup
- Uganda 67-54 Zimbabwe
She Cranes kept their unbeaten streak alive at the Celtic Cup on Saturday evening, defeating Zimbabwe 67–54 at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow to seal their fourth straight win.
Uganda has now taken down Namibia, Northern Ireland, hosts Scotland and Zimbabwe in the round-robin format, tightening their grip on the competition and boosting their chase for valuable world ranking points.
But the night’s real story came from shooter Mary Nuba, whose post-match reflections captured Uganda’s growing confidence, and the purpose driving their campaign in Glasgow.
“We’re happy to put another win in the bucket,” Nuba said.
“We have one more match to go, and hopefully we can win that too. We’ll be so proud of the work we’ve put in, especially the new girls who have debuted. We want to leave here with something because these games are so important as we prepare for the Commonwealth Games next year.”
Nuba said Uganda’s improvement comes from learning and adjusting with each game.
“I think Zimbabwe’s style is almost like Scotland’s,” she noted.
“Reflecting on what we did yesterday, we’re a little more shaped up on what we need to fix. It’s an easy adjustment in the middle, staying calm with the ball and not getting caught up in the other team’s speed.”
She also praised Uganda’s emerging talents, who have stepped up with confidence.
“It’ll be good for us to win again, especially for the new girls,” she said.
“They’re definitely the future. Hopefully we can inspire them to carry on the Ugandan legacy. We’re super proud of them. Keep cheering, we love you all.”
The Celtic Cup resumes on Sunday, November 30, with the She Cranes facing defending champions Wales.
As they chase more points to boost their world ranking and push for automatic World Cup qualification, Uganda know their mission in Glasgow isn’t done until they down Wales but so far, they’re ticking all the right boxes.
Victory or a draw gives She Cranes its first ever gold medal on UK soil.
However a defeat can also win She Cranes the championship if its goal difference isn’t erased.
