Who is the best in sports between Kenya and Tanzania?

• When it comes to sports in East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania often take the spotlight
• Whether it’s football, athletics, volleyball or basketball, these nations have produced amazing talents over the years
• Kenya’s women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, is a force to reckon with in local and major competitions, having represented Africa at the World Championships and Olympics

If you’re a sports fan then you must have at one point wondered who is the best in sports between Kenya and Tanzania. When it comes to sports in East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania often take the spotlight. Whether it’s football, athletics, volleyball or basketball, these nations have produced amazing talents over the years.

Let me fill you in a secret, Kenya and Tanzania are the only nations from Eastern Africa whose countrymen have played in the prestigious English Premier League.

Putting all sports into consideration, who reigns supreme between these two great nations? Let’s break it down.

Football – Close But Tanzania Edges Kenya

Taifa Stars captain Mbwana Samatta played in the English Premier League for Aston Villa in 2020. Photo/ Sky Sports.

Football is undoubtedly the most followed sport in the world. Unsurprisingly, it is also the most popular sport in both countries. The last time Kenya faced Tanzania in a football match was in the group stages of Mapinduzi Cup earlier this year, which ended in a 2-0 win for Harambee Stars.

Tanzania slightly edges Kenya in terms of FIFA rankings as Taifa Stars are currently ranked 107 in the world by football’s governing body. On the other hand, Kenya has continued to sink deeper on the rankings in recent years and currently occupy position 111.

At a club level, Tanzania’s Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba SC have been performing well in CAF competitions compared to Kenyan clubs Gor Mahia and Tusker.

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Athletics – Kenya

Kenya’s dominance in athletics is unmatched. When it comes to long-distance running, Kenya has produced winners like Kipchoge Keino, Eliud Kipchoge, Ezekiel Kemboi, David Rudisha and Faith Kipyegon. Ferdinand Omanyala has also put Kenya on the map in short races as he is the fastest man in Africa.

Meanwhile, Tanzania have not been doing so great in Tanzania in recent years. Nevertheless, they boast strong runners such as Filbert Bayi who set a world record for 1500m in 1974. His record was broken in 2022.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is one of the greatest Marathon runners of all time. Photo/ Africa News.

3. Basketball – Kenya

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in Africa, which explains why we consider it when talking about the best in sports between Kenya and Tanzania.

Both Kenya and Tanzania have not had a breakthrough in major basketball events but Kenya’s national team (Morans) have made headlines with their performance in in FIBA Afrobasket 2025. Meanwhile, Tanzania’s youth teams have shown promise, signaling basketball growth in the country.

4. Volleyball – Kenya

Who is the best in sports between Kenya and Tanzania? Kenya edges Tanzania when it comes to volleyball. Kenya’s women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, is a force to reckon with in local and major competitions. They’ve represented Africa at the World Championships and Olympics and has had talented stars over the years.

Malkia Strikers finished first at the Volleyball at the 1991 All-Africa Games and again took gold at the Women’s African Volleyball Championship that same year. They competed at two consecutive Summer Olympics, finishing eleventh in both the 2000 and 2004 events.

Their recent success came in 2020 when they won gold at the African Games. Some of Malkia Strikers stars include Mercy Moim, Libero Elizabeth, Emmaculate Nekesa and the decorated Janet Wanja who passed away in December 2024 after struggling with gallbladder cancer.

Malkia Strikers of Kenya have represented Olympics and World Championships. Photo/ Capital FM.

While Tanzania’s volleyball program is still evolving, they are still far behind team Kenya.

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Conclusion 

Considering those four major sports, the best in sports between Kenya and Tanzania is Kenya. Kenya remains dominance in sports such as athletics and volleyball but Tanzania is slowly catching up, especially with youth development. The sporting rivalry between these two nations could be a bit different in the years to come.