ESWATINI MEN NETBALL CRUISING
MBABANE - The male netball national team from Eswatini are leaving a mark in the ongoing 2024 Africa Netball Cup at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund, Namibia.
In their opening match, the team secured a close victory against Zimbabwe, winning 49-45, two days ago. They continued their strong performance by defeating Kenya 51-48 in their second match. In their third match, they maintained their good form with a decisive win of 69-24 against Namibia. Eswatini National netball Association (ENNA) Vice President Mduduzi Nhlabatsi was impressed by the team.
Commitment
“They played like a team that has been together for a long time. They played with passion, commitment and zeal. We are happy for them. We hope they will not be carried away and lose focus. “We still need to play South Africa and Zambia and they are both very good teams.” The team is scheduled to play against South Africa this afternoon at 4pm. Tomorrow, they will face Lesotho at 8am and Zambia at 8pm, while the female team will compete against Uganda at 12pm. The ladies lost their opening game to Namibia with a score of 58-47.
In their second match, the female team faced a tough challenge against Zimbabwe, losing 78-27.
The tournament, which was won by South Africa last year, is organised in a round-robin format leading to the semi-finals and finals based on group stage results, concluding on Saturday. There are 10 teams in both the male and female categories. The female captain, Ncamsile Dlamini, acknowledged Zimbabwe’s strength, saying, “They prepared their game very well, and I think we had a short time to prepare. They were a much better team than us.”
Prepare
When asked about their plans for rest tomorrow, she replied: “We need to rest to prepare for the game against Uganda. Imagine travelling to Namibia by bus; we were tired and needed to rest and prepare adequately for the next game.” Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s captain, Felisitus Kwangwa, mentioned that they are working hard as a team and addressing their previous mistakes. “We have to ensure we have enough rest and prepare for Namibia,” she said.
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