Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe senior netball team opens its Celtic Cup campaign tonight in Glasgow, aiming to reset their international story after a difficult week on tour.
The Gems meet Wales again, a side that beat them 39-66 and 44-50 in Cardiff during a disrupted warm-up leg. Those two matches were meant to sharpen them for the Celtic Cup, which includes Scotland, Northern Ireland, Uganda and Namibia, but they ended up fighting through more than just opposition.
They dealt with travel chaos that left head coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki working with an incomplete squad.
“We had to play with an incomplete team after travelling in batches due to visa issues,” he said.
“Our mid court players had to stay behind in Zimbabwe awaiting their visas so we were forced to make do with what we had on the list of the few ones who came first.”
The staggered travel meant the first batch carried only six players, followed by another group that also arrived without Nicole Muzanenhamo, Thandekile Mahlangu and Prudence Sibanda. The trio finally joined the team on Tuesday night in Scotland, missing the entire Wales leg but completing the squad in time for the Cup.
“Everyone is now in the UK and ready for the tournament,” said Zimbabwe Netball Association spokesperson Maimba Mapuranga.
“The rest of the Gems moved from Wales to Glasgow Scotland on Monday and they have been training, preparing for the tournament. The three last players to join the team were Muzanenhamo, Mahlangu and Sibanda and their presence is key in boosting our midcourt where we had challenges in the two games in Wales.”
The late arrivals have revived long running questions around ZINA’s administrative delays. The visas were reportedly processed in October for a tournament planned since the start of the year, yet the team still travelled in scattered batches, a pattern that has shadowed national teams for years. Accommodation and bookings often come down to the final moment, with benefactors wiring money directly to ZINA so payments can be made at check in.
Mapuranga said the focus now shifts to the court as the Gems try to climb the World Netball Rankings.
“These are ranking games, and our major aim right now is to collect points and be able to improve our position in the global rankings,” he said. “The Gems are currently ranked 13th, and a win in these games especially against higher ranked nations will boost our rankings… we also need to avoid defeat at the hands of lower ranked nations.”
Once the Celtic Cup is done, the Gems will head to Malawi for the African Championships, another key step on a path they hope leads to the 2027 Netball World Cup.
“The Celtic Cup is very important in our campaign to qualify for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Australia,” Mapuranga said.
“Our strategy to qualify has been deliberate and intentional starting with the home friendly games against Kenya and Malawi a few months ago.
“Every game we played was meant to give our technical team led by Director John Banda an opportunity to assess different players, combinations and new talents that we can eventually choose from. So far everything is on course, and we are almost confident that we will make it to the global stage once again.”
