Malawi Queens get morale-boosting win: South Africa fear ‘physical match’ in World Cup opener
The Malawi netball team, Queens, on Thursday beat Trinidad and Tobago 60-49 in a friendly match on the eve of the opening of the Netball World Cup at the Sydney Olympic Park in Australia.
Coach Peace Chawinga-Kalua told Nyasa Times from Sydney through Messenger text that the win is a “morale-boosting” ahead of their first crunch tie against South Africa in the second match on the tournament at Acer Arena on the opening Friday.
Malawi, now ranked sixth, beat fifth-ranked South Africa in last year’s Commonwealth Games play-offs, but South Africa have a 4-3 lead of the Queens in their last seven encounters. Their matches are always passionate and closely contested.
“We will put up a good fight. There is plenty at stake against our rivals,” Kalua said.
She said Malawi Queens are excited about starting their World Cup campaign.
South Africa coach Norma Plummer has said she knows their eternal rivals, Malawi will come back hard against them in their opening match.
“They have made peace with some of the players who withdrew from the team, and it will be a tougher team to beat. Malawi will want to go up another gear tomorrow.
“But we’ve had time together, and we can go out feeling confident,” said Plummer.
And South Africa captain Maryke Holtzhausen also said :“We know Malawi is going to come at us very hard, and that it will be a very physical match, but we are ready for them.”.
Malawi is billed by international media to entertain with their flamboyant, playful, joyful styles.
However, they rate Malawi to struggle against the top teams given their lack of height at the back.
The Guardian Australia reported Malawi have not lost to a side outside the top six for nearly 10 years (that was Uganda in 2006), and are an outside chance of causing an upset or two.
“Keep an eye out for the shooting combination of Mwai Kumwenda and Sindi Simtowe, who offer plenty of speed and all around razzle-dazzle,” Guardian Australia reported.
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good 4 beating de shit of john
Good Pa Good
Congrats Queeens for beating the sh.t out of the SAs
matsotsiwo akhauliseni osawanyengelela,all the best.
our pride,we r behind u gals dont let us down.All the best
Congratulations to the “Queens”: I love them; but I was really cheering for the opposition. T&T are my favorites, as I, personally, have closer affinity to them. T&T has always been great in the West Indies, and they are unbelievable, especially when playing on their home island.
The result is very surprising. But, you know what? The team will still be welcomed with warmth, in Port of Spain. There is no despising them, there. Netball is a religion over there, even among elderly women. Eeeeeee!
We love you queens, but we are stuck for long on number 5 or 6 in the world. This means that we are for a decade not making progress. Of course you are great to have not slid backwards! Many many thanks for that. Now let’s see how we can become number four in the world. Tactically, they say we lack tall players at the back. This is a tactical issue. Be brave and find taller back players in order to built capacity for progressing beyond number 5 or number 6 in the world. We do not have to expect… Read more »
In everything they put their hands on
These are our unsung heroes. Not the bunch of these others who can be classified as etc
Dislodge the RSA tomorrow .All the best Queenz.