Fate out of Queens’ hands
The Malawi Queens on Tuesday lost 59-43 to Uganda’s She Cranes at the 2021 Pent Series Tournament in Windhoek, Namibia in a contest which exposed their glaring shortcomings and left their fate to others.
Rarely have the Queens been so comprehensively outclassed by fellow African side other than South Africa and the result, a yawning 16-basket defeat, was a painful testimony that they are on the wane.
It was a crucial match that was tipped to define the six-team tournament’s favourites considering that it involved the top-ranked sides and the harsh reality is that it is the Ugandans who have a spring in their step to win it.
In a match monitored on Namibia Netball Association Facebook Page, Ugandans, led by their captain and gangly shooter Stella Oyella, who meshed brilliantly with goal attacker Irene Eyaru, hurtled around the court with much effort and resolve as the Queens looked out of sorts.
The Queens took long to get the rhythm in the first quarter as they frequently misplaced passes especially, in the middle of the pack and the Ugandans took advantage of the lapse to take control and led 14-10 in the first quarter.
Malawi appeared an improved side at the start of the second quarter. Tellingly, they needed someone to step up and England-based shooter Joyce Mvula took up the task as she combined well with goal attacker Sindi Simutowe to take the game to the She Cranes.
But the Ugandans still held on to their nerve to lead 28-22 at half time.
In the third quarter, Queens coach Peace Chawinga-Kaluwa made some changes, taking out Sindi Simtowe for Jane Chimaliro and captain Carol Mtukule-Ngwira for Martha Dambo. Wing attacker Bridget Kumwenda was also taken off for youthful Flora Chipeta as Uganda’s centre Ruth Meeme greased the wheels of industry with her long-range passes to the Oyella and Eyaru.
At the end of the third quarter, Uganda led 43-32 and much as the Queens tried to reorganise themselves, in the end, they were still swept aside by the Ugandans who displayed strong determination, physique and pace.
The job was done and the Queens were left battered, bruised and broken.
The last time the two sides met was in October 2019 at the Vitality Netball World Cup in England where the Queens won 55-44.
They also met in the Africa Netball Championship earlier on in the same year and again Malawi came out 49-45 victors.
Chawinga-Kaluwa admitted that with the loss, chances of winning the tournament are now slim.
“There are positives that we have drawn from the match, but our chances are now slim. We will be hoping that Uganda lose a game which I don’t think will happen.”
Mtukule-Ngwira described the loss as painful.
She said: “Their [Uganda] game plan worked to perfection because they came flat out to frustrate us and we struggled to settle down.
“Of course, we tried to come back into the game, but the damage had already been done. Nevertheless, we won’t give up, we will fight till the last match.”
Malawi, who won their first match 56-38 against Zimbabwe’s Gems, face hosts Namibia this afternoon in their third match.
They have two points while Uganda lead the six-team contest with four points, having won both their matches.
This means Malawi need to win all their remaining matches while hoping that Uganda wuill falter along the way.
