Malawi Queens jet off to Nairobi for World Cup qualifier – with recall for star Galeta 

Malawi’s Queens netball team boarded a flight to Nairobi today for the African Netball Cup – with wing attacker Thandi Galeta handed a surprise recall after being controversially left out of the squad that travelled to the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Galeta isn’t the only fresh face in the squad, with Prisca Banda, Mphatso Kanyimbo and Chimwemwe Dzanja also drafted in for the crunch tournament, which doubles up as a qualifier for the Netball World Cup.

The 15-player squad was unveiled by the Queens’ expatriate coach Debbie Fuller during a lavish send-off bash thrown by sponsors Nico Holdings plc at the Queens House in Blantyre’s Namiwawa Township.

Nico Holdings’ head of marketing and customer experience, Taweni Gondwe Xaba, didn’t hold back on expectations, declaring bosses want nothing less than continental glory and a spot at the World Cup.

The send-off comes on the back of a superb rise up the World Netball Rankings, with the Queens climbing to eighth in the world.

Leading the charge in Nairobi will be Australia-based ace Mwawi Kumwenda-M’bwana, alongside skipper Takondwa Lwazi and fellow star Tendai Masamba.