Queens excel

Malawi Queens yesterday thrashed debutants Nigeria 82-22 in their third Pool 2 fixture at the Africa Netball Cup in Nairobi, Kenya to qualify for the semi-finals with a match to spare following three-straight wins.

The victory at Moi International Sports Centre also means the Malawi National Netball Team has booked a ticket to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia since the Africa Netball Cup serves as the continent’s qualifier for the global showpiece.

They will play Uganda’s She Cranes in their last group match tomorrow at noon.

Mwawi prepares to make a pass during

yesterday’s match. | Courtesy of NAM

Only two automatic qualification slots were allocated to African teams at the World Cup, but the Queens have qualified just for getting into the last-four stage because the other semi-finalists, South Africa and Uganda, already secured automatic qualification based on their top-six world rankings. The two sides are ranked fifth and sixth in the world, respectively.

South Africa and Uganda are competing in the Africa Netball Cup for a continental glory while eight other teams, including Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Kenya, are Netball World Cup qualifying contenders.

This is the second time the world’s eighth-ranked Queens have earned a slot for the global showpiece through the qualifiers as the same happened in 2022, when they finished as Africa Netball Cup runners-up. Previously, they always made it automatically for being within the top-six rankings.

Against Nigeria’s Green Hawks yesterday, Queens expatriate coach Debbie Fuller made one change to the starting seven with goalkeeper Sophilet Banda replacing Shabel Bengo. Australia-based shooter Mwawi Kumwenda, goal-attacker Tendai Masamba and wing-attacker Takondwa Lwazi, who is also the captain, started alongside centre Melia Soko, wing-defender Aisha Gama and goal-defender Martha Dambo.

Malawi dominated play to lead 21-6 in the first quarter before increasing the tally to 40-11 at half-time break. They were 61-15 ahead in the third segment before registering the 60-basket victory.

In their opening group match, the Queens beat Zambia 71-38 before securing a 55-47 victory over hosts Kenya.

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