Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZAMBEZI Eagles have one more chance to prove their first win at the Telkom Netball League was not a fluke when they face Jaguars this afternoon at Ellis Park in South Africa.
The Zimbabwean developmental side finally got off the mark against the Flames after opening their campaign with back-to-back defeats to Fireballs and Crinums.
Now the challenge changes.
Another win today keeps alive hopes of a respectable three victories from five matches and gives weight to Zimbabwe’s growing belief that the Eagles project can genuinely feed the senior Gems side.
Another defeat leaves them chasing damage control heading into their final match against Stings on Sunday.
Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki knows the pressure is there but insists the bigger picture remains player growth ahead of next year’s World Cup cycle.
“We want to bring the best foot forward and ensure that with the confidence we got from our previous win, we grind a positive result,” said Mutsauki.
“However, we are not putting our players under pressure to perform. It’s normal that you have to perform. We can’t subdue them under pressure, although we want them to be very competitive.
“They know what is at stake and where we are in terms of building for the coming World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup finals scheduled for next year in Australia.” The Eagles have looked exactly what they are in South Africa, a young side still learning how to survive elite competition.
At times they have struggled with pace, physicality and decision-making under pressure. But there have also been flashes of composure that explain why Zimbabwe Netball continues investing in the developmental programme.
Some of the players in the TNL squad are expected to rejoin the Gems camp ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in Kenya in September, making every match in South Africa part of a much bigger audition.
“What we just did is to remind them what is needed for us to do in terms of the remaining two games,” said Mutsauki.
For the coach, results matter, but not enough to lose sight of the long-term mission.
