Cheetahs make quarter-finals

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S Cheetahs may not have played to their full potential but they were still good enough to advance to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup Rugby Sevens tournament in Kampala, Uganda, yesterday. Favourites to progress from Pool B with a 100 percent record, the Zambezi Cheetahs had seemed on course to achieving that feat after winning their opening three games earlier in the day.

But they came unstuck in their final Pool B match against Madagascar who upstaged them 19-12. The Zambezi Cheetahs, had however, done enough to secure a quarter-final date against Tunisia against whom they would now have to up their game to ensure they stay on course for a berth in the final. African countries are battling for the two slots at the 2018 Sevens World Cup, which are available for the non-core members from the continent.

With South Africa and Kenya having already qualified by virtue of their international rankings and core status, the spotlight in tournament was always going to fall on such teams like hosts Uganda, Zambia, North African sides Tunisia and Morocco, Madagascar and Zimbabwe to fight it out for those two slots.

The Zambezi Cheetahs began their Pool B campaign with a 21-7 triumph over novices Mauritius and posted an identical victory against Botswana in their second assignment. In their third Pool B game, coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba guided his men to a 19-5 triumph over West African outfit Senegal. The Zambezi Cheetahs got a rude awakening when Madagascar, who had also fired warning shots by thumping Mauritius 40-10, raced into a 19-0 lead before the Zimbabweans clawed their way back, albeit a little too late through tries by Stephan Hunduza and Njabulo Ndlovu. Cheetahs team manager Donald Mangenje remained confident that that his side would overcome the Tunisian challenge today and keep alive their hopes of winning through to the finals by the time the curtain comes on the second day’s programme later this afternoon.

“It was a good day. There was a bit of a confusion with the tournament format but we kicked on. Tunisia will be difficult but we can go past them,” Mangenje said.

Today’s Quarter-final fixtures:

Uganda v Botswana; Madagascar v Morocco; Zimbabwe v Tunisia; Zambia v Senegal