Eswatini……….34
Zimbabwe…….44
MATSAPHA – So near yet so far!
This is the impressive Eswatini’s men netball team after they fell short 34-44 to Zimbabwe, during a pulsating encounter staged at the Griffin Sayenda Sports Complex in Lilongwe, Malawi yesterday.
They are making their second appearance in the competition. The locals brought a silver medal to the table, having won it in their maiden appearance last year. However, this time around, that achievement proved hard. The Vumbubukhosi Ndlangamandla-led side trailed 6-13 at the end of the first quarter.
They tried to make a comeback before the break, but Zimbabwe once again dominated 6-8 in the second quarter to take a 12-21 lead. The locals pressed on in the third quarter collecting 9-7 points to achieve 21-28. However, those efforts proved futile as the visitors already held an upper hand. The deciding moment came in their penultimate quarter as Eswatini threw everything into attack to score 13-16 goals, accumulating 34-44.
Wing attacker Simanga ‘Mgwaja’ Vilakati led the charge for Eswatini, alongside Centre Mandisa ‘Makepeace’ Sihlongonyane, who created countless opportunities for Goal Shooter Siphiwo Dlamini before Brendan Dlamini was introduced before the first quarter ended.
Despite missing out on finals, Eswatini will once again face Kenya tomorrow, with their sights set on securing a third place position. Kenya suffered a defeat to defending champions South Africa in a simultaneous semi-final clash. Ndlangamandla’s troops won 37-28 over Kenya when they faced off in Pot 2 group stages earlier this week.
Quarters Breakdown:
First quarter: Eswatini 6-13 Zimbabwe
Second quarter: Eswatini 12-21 Zimbabwe
Third quarter: Eswatini 21-28 Zimbabwe
Last quarter: Eswatini 34-44 Zimbabwe
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