Uganda’s national netball team, the She Cranes, rallied from a slow start to defeat Malawi in their final game of the Vitality Netball Nations Cup.
Malawi came out strong in the first quarter of the bronze medal match, outscoring Uganda 14-11 to take a three-goal lead into the second quarter.
Uganda returned a different team after the short break, taking the lead 26-23 by halftime. They leveled the score at 22-all with 4 minutes and 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter and ultimately took the lead.
Shooter Mary Nuba found her rhythm, while Malawi’s Joyce Mvula struggled with her shots. This gave Uganda the confidence to push for the win.
With both teams showing signs of fatigue, they turned to their bench players. Malawi benefited from the substitutions, narrowing the gap to just one goal (37-38).
The final quarter was a tense affair, but Uganda held their nerve to secure a 50-45 victory, finishing third behind South Africa.
Nuba was dominant, scoring 34 goals with only three misses. Captain Irene Eyaru contributed 16 goals from 16 attempts. Center Margret Baagala made 29 feeds and three intercepts.
Hosts England avenged their 61-59 round-robin loss to South Africa with a 61-55 victory in the final, winning the 2025 Vitality Netball Nations Cup.
