Kenya’s 3x3 men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams bowed out at the semifinal stage after defeats to Nigeria, missing out on qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Nigeria and South Africa emerged as the top sides in Luanda, Angola, securing direct tickets to the Games set for Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026.

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Speaking after the matches at the Arena Pavilhão Multiuso do Kilamba, women’s captain Caroline Wanjira remained upbeat despite the setback, pointing to valuable lessons gained from the continental showdown.

“We had a blend of young and experienced players. It takes time to gel, we gave the best fight we could, and the semis results show for it,” Wanjira said

"Kenya will bounce back. We came here and have seen what’s going on. Next time it’s us making history on the global stage,” she added.

Kenya’s campaign began on a difficult note, with the women’s team falling 8-2 to eventual champions South Africa before suffering an 8-0 loss to Nigeria in their second match.

The men endured a mixed run in the group phase, going down 19-8 to South Africa and narrowly losing 7-6 to Nigeria, before bouncing back with a convincing 10-4 win over Gambia.

In Thursday’s semifinals, the women’s side fell 5-2 to a physically dominant Nigeria outfit, while the men also lost to the same opponents, going down 10-6 in a contest decided by late-game execution.

Nigeria would, however, settle for second place in the men’s competition after losing 13-8 to South Africa in the final. In the women’s final, Nigeria turned the tables, beating South Africa 8-3 to claim the title, with both nations booking their slots for Glasgow.

Attention now shifts to the 5x5 competition, where Kenya will have another shot at international qualification. The men’s and women’s teams, who have been training at the José Armando Sayovo Paralympic Centre in Bengo Province, are set to begin their campaign in Luanda on Saturday.

The women’s team will open against Liberia at 11:30 am local time, while the men face hosts Angola at 6:00 pm.

The 5x5 tournament carries even higher stakes, with the eventual African champions in both categories earning qualification to the IWBF World Championships set for September 9-19 in Ottawa, Canada. For Kenya, the event presents an immediate opportunity for revival after their exit in the 3x3 format.