Reviewed by Peter KanjereMalawi sports betting writer
Published 15 September 2026
Malawi have brought four players back into the Queens squad for the Africa Netball Cup in Nairobi, where two places at the 2027 Netball World Cup are decided.
Thandi Galeta, Prisca Banda, Mphatso Kanyimbo and Chimwemwe Dzanja are all back after being left out of the squad that went to the Commonwealth Games. Galeta, a wing attacker, is the recall that changed the shape of the side rather than simply its depth.
The core stays as it was. Mwawi Kumwenda remains the focal point in the shooting circle, Takondwa Lwazi keeps the captaincy and Tendai Masamba is retained. Fuller, the Queens coach, reported no injury concerns in the fifteen named to travel.
Two places and nothing behind them
The tournament runs from 19 to 26 September in Nairobi and carries two African places at the World Cup in Australia next year. Malawi sit eighth in the world rankings, which is the number that explains why this trip matters: the Queens were not among the nations given a place before qualifying began, so Nairobi is the route rather than a rehearsal.
That is a change of position for a side used to travelling as one of the favourites. Finishing outside the top two in Nairobi would leave Malawi out of the World Cup altogether, and the squad has said plainly that it is not treating the week as preparation.
What the captain said
Lwazi said the Queens are going to Nairobi to compete and to qualify rather than to take part. Sponsor NICO Holdings used its send off to set the same target, telling the squad that nothing short of the continental title and a World Cup place would do.
AXN Sports will carry the results from Nairobi as the pool matches are played.
Where to bet: netball markets in Malawi open properly only around a tournament like this one, so expect match winner and winning margin rather than a deep menu. Premier Bet and Betway price Queens fixtures in kwacha with deposits by mobile money, and the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority is the body that licenses betting in the country. Outright prices on a qualifying tournament move sharply once the pool results are in, so compare the two books on the same market before you stake. Our guide to the best betting sites in Malawi covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Malawi netball news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
