Swahili sports and games vocabulary

Welcome to this beginner-friendly Swahili tutorial! Whether you’re a student, traveler, teacher, or simply love sports, learning how to talk about sports and games in Swahili is a fun and useful skill.

In this lesson, you’ll discover common sports, action verbs, and game-related words with their English to Swahili translations. Perfect for kids, learners, and families!

Common Sports in Swahili

English	Swahili
Football (Soccer)	Kandanda
Basketball	Mpira wa kikapu
Volleyball	Mpira wa wavu
Tennis	Tenisi
Swimming	Kuogelea
Running	Kukimbia
Cycling	Kuendesha baiskeli
Athletics	Riadha
Boxing	Ngumi
Wrestling	Mapigano/Mieleka
Golf	Gofu
Cricket	Kriketi
Rugby	Raga
Table tennis	Tenisi ya meza
Karate	Karate
Chess	Chessi
Gymnastics	Gimnastiki

Games and Activities Vocabulary

English	Swahili
Game	Mchezo
Team	Timu
Player	Mchezaji
Referee	Refa
Coach	Kocha
Ball	Mpira
Field / Pitch	Uwanja
Goal	Goli
Score	Alama
Win	Kushinda
Lose	Kupoteza
Draw (tie)	Sare
Practice / Training	Mazoezi
Tournament	Mashindano
Competition	Mashindano / Shindano
Fan / Supporter	Shabiki

Useful Sports Phrases

English Phrase	Swahili Translation
I like playing football.	Napenda kucheza mpira wa miguu.
What is your favorite sport?	Michezo upendayo ni upi?
They are a strong team.	Wao ni timu imara.
We are going to watch the game.	Tunaenda kuangalia mchezo.
The match was exciting.	Mechi ilikuwa ya kusisimua.
He scored a goal!	Amefunga goli!
The players are training.	Wachezaji wanafanya mazoezi.
Who won the game?	Nani alishinda mchezo?
It was a close match.	Ilikuwa mechi ya karibu.
Let’s play together.	Tocheze pamoja.