The Malawi Queens suffered a 70 – 46 defeat to world number one ranked netball team, Australia, at the on-going 2023 netball world cup in Cape Town South Africa.
The Queens started the game on a positive note as they managed to compete neck and neck with the world number one ranked team in the first and second quarter. Australia led the first quarter 16 – 13, in the second quarter the Queens were the better side as they managed to close the gap and catch up with Australia at half-time it was 28 – 28.
In the third quarter Australia took advantage of the Queens mistake of misplacing of passes and by the end of the third quarter Australia led 49 – 37. In the fourth quarter Australia showed why they are ranked number one in the world as they displayed top class netball to overpower the Queens, at the end Australia won 70 – 46.
Speaking after the match Australian based shooter Mwawi Kumwenda explained that Australia is a tough side to beat because they do not easily get tired
‘’Our friends train hard, they can train for one hour non-stop, so they do not easily get tired, it takes time for one to be fully fit at least three months, so it was difficult for us to match them,’’ explained Kumwenda.
On his part the Queens interim coach Samuel Kanyenda explained that the girls failed to play in the third and final quarter because of fitness levels
‘’We made a false change in the third quarter whereby we rested Takondwa Lwazi who was not feeling well, she had a knee problem, so that change affected us so much, other than that we failed to endure in the third and fourth quarter because the third quarter is the championship quarter, so when we reached the third quarter it took us so long to score a goal and we failed to play as a team and that continued in the fourth quarter and the players failed to continue with the game plan,’’ explained Kanyenda.
The result mean the Queens still have a chance to finish in the top four if they managed to register a victory against Tonga on Thursday and proceed to the next round of games. So far, the Queens have played two games in group F and are on third position behind leaders Australia and second placed England.
Coach Kanyenda started the game with Joyce Mvula as goal shooter, Mwawi Kumwenda as goal attacker, Thandie Galeta as wing attacker, Takondwa Lwazi as Center, Grace Mwafulirwa as wing defense, Towera Vinkhumbo as goal defender and Laureen Ngwira as goalkeeper. Martha Dambo, Madalitso Mkandawire, Shabel Bengo, Sindi Simtowe and Jane Chimaliro started on the bench