Cometh the hour, cometh the woman!

Veronica Gwaze in CAPE TOWN, South Africa

FOR four years, the goal shooter position has presented quite a headache for coaches of the national netball team.

Since the retirement of revered shooter Pauline Jani soon after the 2019 Netball World Cup, no one has really stepped up to lay claim to the position.

Injuries have haunted the duo of Australia-based star Joice Takaidza and Zimbabwe Defence Forces Queens’ Sharon Bwanali — the two players many believed could solve the Gems’ woes.

However, in debutant Nalani Makunde, the country seems to have found their woman.

Despite falling 48-52 to Fiji in their second 2023 Netball World Cup match yesterday, the 24-year-old Zimbabwean left a mark.

In fact, the new kid on the block put up a scintillating first-half display in which she scored 18 of Zimbabwe’s 25 points, helping the Gems take a one-point half-time lead.

However, as has become the case in recent times, the Gems appeared not to have the legs to carry them to victory, as they fell to a four-point defeat in the end.

Makunde, however, left an impression.

The calm and lanky shooter, who also boasts spectacular shots, was born to Zimbabwean parents in Australia and raised in that country.

Avid netball followers were surprised when she was named in the Gems World Cup squad, as she was virtually unknown.

Her presence was initially greeted with scepticism. She plays for Canberra-based Capital Darters in the Australian Netball Championship.

She also represents Brisbane South Wildcats in the Hart Sapphire Series in Queensland.

The soft-spoken star, who also plays basketball, was delighted to finally represent Zimbabwe.

“I dreamt of one day wearing the national team colours; it is a special feeling for me to debut for the Gems and at such a grand stage,” she said.

“What made it even more special was making the debut against Australia, and it was like being torn between my two countries.

“Settling was not difficult at all; I enjoyed every minute of that game.”

On the Fiji defeat, Makunde feels the team succumbed to pressure.

The Gems fluffed a lot of chances, which handed the advantage to their opponents.

“I am a bit disappointed because this was a winnable game for us. We are actually capable of taking on a lot of the teams in this competition.

“Unfortunately, it just did not work well for us,” she said.

After getting her first national team call-up, Makunde joined the Gems’ camp with a lot of expectations.

Apart from being in Zimbabwe for the first time, the shooter said she was also looking forward to leaving a mark at the World Cup.

“This is a lifetime opportunity, the kind of experience that one never forgets.

“When I got the call, I had to put in extra hours of training, and I believe my performance depicts the preparations that I put into it.

“I count myself lucky to be here.

“I play in Australia, where I get to meet some of these international stars often, and that has helped me settle in better in this competition.”

For a player whose career started by “accident”, she said her debut will remain unforgettable.

She has also made it clear that she does not want to endure the pain of losing again when they face Tonga.

Gems assistant coach Tatenda Shinya believes the team were punished for a lot of unforced errors, which left them edgy.

 

 

“We were not strong mentally and lost the game psychologically before the whistle.

“The girls failed to handle the pressure and it cost us. Our communication was also poor and we need to work on that.

“We lost a lot of balls unnecessarily; we were rushing to release without considering the movement of the co-player.

“We have a lot of work to do if we are to beat Tonga tomorrow (today),” he said.