The Zambia Women National Volleyball team has advanced to the next round at the ongoing Women’s African Volleyball Championship, after defeating Mali 3-1.
Zambia Head Coach Arnold Simulezi says the victory was important for the team’s progress in the tournament, particularly after losing their previous match 3:0 to Kenya, who are the defending champions.
Simulezi has noted that the players showed great character by recovering from the setback and gradually building their confidence as the match progressed.
“The girls fought very hard considering that previously we lost and when we started the morale was not very high, but they picked up as the game went on,” he said.
He congratulated the players for securing the victory, which he described as crucial in keeping Zambia’s campaign alive.
The Coach explained that the team is confident of progressing further in the competition after successfully reaching the next stage, crediting the support from Zambian fans for boosting the morale of the players.
Simulezi added that the presence and encouragement from supporters, including the Deputy High Commissioner of Zambia to Kenya, Exnobert Zulu, has motivated the players to work harder and deliver positive results.
“When there are people supporting you, you do not want to disappoint them,” he said.
And Zambia Women’s National Volleyball team Vice-Captain Beene Matongo said the team is targeting a place in the semi-finals at the ongoing championship.
Matongo said despite losing 3-0 in their previous match, the team has gained valuable experience from competing against some of the continent’s best sides, including defending champions now.
She said the players gave their best effort in the encounter and have used the lessons learnt from the defeat to improve their performance.
“I am actually happy that we worked on our errors and tried our best to win the game,” Matongo said.
Matongo added that the team will now shift its focus to the next stages of the competition, with a semi-final place identified as the team’s main objective.
She said the players are determined to give their best in the round of 16 and quarter-final matches in order to achieve the target.
Zambia will face Nigeria in the round of 16, after Nigeria won Ghana 3:2.
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