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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
AS focus shifts to next year, Zimbabwe senior netball team coach Lloyd Makunde is already looking at the possibilities for 2022 and how his side can improve for next year’s assignments.
The return to competition by the Gems in November rekindled their hope after spending two years on the sidelines.
“We only managed to play two tournaments but the two tournaments we played them at the same time.
“I would have appreciated if we played a tournament like at the beginning of the year and then another one at the end of the year, with a longer lifespan between the two tournaments but that was not possible.
“So in 2022 we would want to make it a better year than this year,” said Makunde.
Makunde fielded a relatively new side at this year’s Pent Series and Africa Netball Cup where Zimbabwe were placed third and fifth respectively.
A number of the regular players were not available including Australia-based goal shooter Joice Takaidza, Lorraine Manjoro, Linda Nkorongo, and Sharleen Makusha.
However, with the main target for next year being qualification to the World Cup to be staged in South Africa, in 2023, Makunde is looking forward to welcoming back all the players that were not available this year due to various reasons.
“I am looking forward to the return of all our regular players that were not available this time around.
“We have three on maternity leave, Lorraine, Linda and Sharleen. And then there is Joice who couldn’t come because of travelling restrictions in Australia.
“So I hope next year those players will be available for selection and all the young players we had this year, and all those that came into camp. Some didn’t get the chance to play but then we are going to nurture them all.
“We are going to combine them with those that were missing in action. We are going to look for tall players as well who will come in to fight for places as well.
“So this time around I think the competition will be stiff for places thereby our game will be better. We will have a better team, especially if everybody is available, and then the competition will bring us the best there is.
“We wish to qualify for the World Cup, that’s our objective, to qualify for the World Cup,” said Makunde.
The senior national team will be hoping to improve from their performance in Namibia. In 2019, Zimbabwe were fourth at the Africa Cup and this year they were a place down their previous performance.
Makunde is alive to the fact that if they are going to contest for a place at the next edition of the World Cup in 2023, they need to bring their A game next year.
“Of course, it is a concern because practically we had a new team which played fairly well considering that most of the regular players were not there, and those who had retired. So it was not a very bad performance but there is room for improvement.
“The Zimbabwe Netball Association are going to make sure that we start our preparations very early and they are working flat out so that we kick-start our preparations most probably very early in the next year.”
The local game is also back and hopefully the leagues begin their 2022 programmes in time so that locally-based players get the much-needed competition to remain competitive.
This will also complement the technical team’s efforts in coming up with a strong team.
Despite limited competition in the year, Zimbabwe maintained their 12th position on the World Rankings released last week.
According to World Netball, the rankings are based on the matches up to December 5.
Online Reporter