By Peter Fote in Cape Town, South Africa:
Malawi National Netball Team are out of the top six battle at the ongoing 2023 Netball World Cup finals after losing to Uganda 57-46 at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa Friday.
The Queens will now face Tonga Nation in a position seven and eighth playoff Sunday.
It was a painful loss for the sixth-ranked Queens who contained the eighth ranked Uganda 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Uganda upped its game in the second quarter as Malawi made a lot of turnovers and contacts to gift their rivals goals.
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At half time Uganda led 28-23.
She-Cranes attacker Shadiah Nassanga was a menace causing havoc in Malawi’s defence as the Queens committed a lot of fouls.
Nassanga was named player of the match after recording a 100 percent shooting record in the game.
Queens Coach Samuel Kanyenda, who had started with the same team that defeated Tonga on Thursday, seemed to be clueless as he made substitutions that did not work.
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In the third quarter, things got worse for the Queens as winger attacker Thandie Galeta got injured and was replaced by captain Jane Chimaliro who failed to live to the heat of the game.
In the fourth quarter it was a matter of damage limitation.
Kanyenda lamented the loss of Galeta and lack of depth in the team.
“Things did not go as we planned. We lost some important balls as a team and Galeta’s injury also affected us big time.
“Going forward we need to bring in some players and start preparations now for the fast five games to take place in New Zealand in November,” he said.
However, shooter Mwawi Kumwenda who plays for Melbourne Vixens in Australia, said the team lacked the drive to win the match.
“We stopped playing our attacking game. We also gave away some important balls. We need to perfect all that when we play on Sunday,” she said.
Malawi has now only won once in six games against Uganda since 2017.—Story powered by PremierLoto & MNCS
