Zimbabwean Coach to Lead Kenya’s La Divas Quest for World Cup Qualification
By Geoffrey Anene
Kenya’s national women’s netball team, the La Divas, has been brought on board Zimbabwe's assistant coach Tapiwa Chirenda as their new tactician as the hosts chase a historic World Cup qualification in Nairobi.
The coach who previously coached Ngezi Platinum Queens to the Zimbabwe Premier league glory is expected to lead Kenya at the Africa Cup qualifiers scheduled for September 19-26 in Nairobi, where the top two teams will qualify for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
Chirenda says they have done their homework on Nigeria as they prepare for a tough opening match at the 2026 Africa Netball Cup scheduled for September 19 at 7.00pm.
Chirenda believes the team’s preparations have put them in a strong position to face the West Africans.
La Divas will begin their campaign against Nigeria, a side that has gained valuable international experience during its preparations in England and Jamaica.
Chirenda, who has been in charge for almost a month, says the team has made significant progress in training. He was particularly encouraged by the players’ response during recent sessions, saying their development had exceeded his expectations.
The Zimbabwean coach has also introduced changes aimed at making Kenya’s game faster and more versatile. He wants La Divas to offer fans a different style of netball during the continental competition.
Despite Kenya’s efforts to study their opponents, Chirenda admitted that there is limited footage of Nigeria because the team will be playing its first official match of the tournament. He, however, acknowledged the quality and international experience within the Nigerian squad.
Nigeria’s preparations have included matches against highly ranked opponents in Europe, giving them valuable exposure ahead of the tournament. Chirenda expects the encounter to be challenging, but believes Kenya is ready for the test.
The coach is also confident that limited time on the indoor competition court will not affect his players. He believes training in different weather conditions has helped the team learn how to adapt to challenging situations.
With the opening match less than 72 hours away, La Divas will hope their preparation and homework on Nigeria can help them secure a positive start to their Africa Netball Cup campaign on home soil. South Africa and Uganda have already qualified for the 2027 Netball World Cup via world rankings, meaning two more teams from Africa Cup will join them.
Women draw:
Pool A - South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana & Tanzania; Pool B - Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya & Nigeria