Down, but not out

Malawi Queens yesterday lost to Uganda 54-49 in their last Africa Netball Cup Pool 2 match in Nairobi, Kenya, but walked out of Moi International Sports Centre court with their heads held high following a gallant fight.

The result means the world’s eighth-ranked Malawi National Netball Team will this afternoon face fifth-ranked defending champions South Africa in the semi-finals while sixth-ranked Uganda will take on 14th-ranked Namibia in the other last-four clash.

In a match monitored on Netball Africa website www.africanetball.com, the Queens struggled in the first quarter, trailing 19-4.

Jeke converts a basket during

yesterday’s match. | Courtesy of NAM

However, they upped their game in the second quarter in which both sides converted 15 baskets for the scoreline to be 34-19 at half-time.

In the third quarter, the Queens were a greatly improved side as they fought tooth and nail to crawl back in the game and narrowed the 15-basket gap to only four with Australia-based shooter Mwawi Kumwenda-M’bwana and substitute goal-attacker Florence Jeke pulling the strings under the loop.

They kept the momentum in the last quarter, but it was too little too late to escape defeat as they went down by five baskets.

This was Malawi Queens’ ninth loss to Uganda in their last 11 meetings.

“This was a tough game, but we still put up a spirited fight. It was good that in the end we reduced the gap from 15 baskets to just four,” said Queens captain Takondwa Lwazi.

Queens’ expatriate coach Debbie Fuller maintained the starting seven that demolished debutants Nigeria 82-22 in their previous group match.

Kumwenda-M’bwana, goal-attacker Tendai Masamba and wing attacker Lwazi featured alongside centre Melia Soko, wing-defender Aisha Gama, goal-defender Martha Dambo and goalkeeper Sophilet Banda.

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