Kenya’s team of talented lady golfers secured an impressive third-place finish at the recently concluded All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) in Agadir, Morocco.
The 2024 AACT, Africa’s premier women’s golf competition, was held at Tazegzout Golf Club from Wednesday, November 27, to Sunday, November 30, 2024.
Naomi Wafula, Mercy Nyanchama, and Bianca Ngecu posted a combined score of 439, finishing seven over par (+7) after three days of intense competition.
Host nation Morocco clinched victory with a dominant 425 points (-7), while South Africa took second place with 427 points (-5).
Morocco’s Sofia Cherif won the individual title with a stellar score of 204 (-12), followed by South Africa’s Kesha Louw (210) and Lisa Coetzer (217).
Ngecu delivered a standout performance, finishing fourth in the individual category with a score of 220 (+4).
Nyanchama tied for fifth with Morocco’s Rim Imni at 223 points, while Wafula secured seventh place with 226 points.
“Morocco was an incredible experience. The competition was tough, but the hospitality and support from the organizers made it memorable. We are proud to finish third and win bronze,” said Wafula, the team captain.
She added that representing Kenya on such a platform was an honor.
Wafula remains the only Kenyan to have won the Junior title at the AACT, a feat she achieved in Botswana in 2012.
Kenya’s Rose Naliaka is the only Kenyan to have won the overall title, claiming victory in 2002 in Ivory Coast.
The AACT is a biennial continental women’s golf championship that debuted in 1992, with the inaugural event organized by the Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union at Chapman Golf Club in Harare.
This year’s tournament featured participants from 20 countries, including South Africa, Angola, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Kenya, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Namibia.
Each country fielded a team of three players, competing under the Eisenhower scoring system, where the best two scores per round contribute to the daily team score in the 54-hole stroke play format.