Margret Baagala has once again shown her undisputed dominance in African netball, delivering a masterclass in poise and tactical distribution to defend her title as the Best Midcourt Player of the Tournament at the 2026 Africa Netball Cup held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The prestigious accolade caps another outstanding continental campaign for the Uganda international. Her exceptional composure, intelligent movement, and precise distribution in the center were the vital engine that helped the She Cranes reclaim the coveted African crown.
Baagala’s latest individual honour extends an extraordinary run of recognition across the continent. Having previously been named the Midcourt Player of the Tournament in both 2024 and 2025, she has now officially completed a remarkable hat-trick of awards.
Celebrating her historic achievement on social media, Baagala posted on her X account.
This latest trophy further builds on an already glittering resume. Recognised among the Best Seven of the Tournament and as the Best Centre Player in 2024 and 2025, her expanding trophy cabinet also features the Best Player of the Month for December at the Real Stars Monthly Awards (2024) and Most Valuable Player of the Match during the 2024 Netball Fast Five Series against Jamaica. Her excellence was also recognised early on with a nomination for Best Player of the Season by the Uganda Netball Federation with NIC in 2021.
Remarkably, her athletic brilliance extends beyond the netball court; Baagala was named Player of the Week in multiple rounds of the Uganda Women’s National Basketball League while playing for the KCCA Leopards across 2025 and 2026.
Baagala’s individual brilliance went hand in hand with an unforgettable team triumph, as Uganda completed a dominant, unbeaten campaign across the eight-day tournament to ascend back to the throne of African netball.
The She Cranes sealed the championship title in a thrilling 56-53 victory over defending champions South Africa’s SPAR Proteas in a pulsating grand finale at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.
Baagala’s unwavering poise in the center was crucial to the team’s success, with her mastery over the middle third steering the nation through a flawless campaign and firmly re-establishing Uganda at the apex of African netball as the squad now looks ahead to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
It was a golden tournament overall for the Ugandan camp, with Baagala’s KCCA Netball Club teammate, Shadiah Nassanga Ssegujja, also collecting major individual honours by being named both Best Shooter and Overall Player of the Tournament.