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Mthokozisi Dube in Gaborone, Botswana
ZIMBABWE started their 2014 Africa Youth Games netball campaign in disappointing fashion after succumbing to a 38-39 loss to the hosts. Zimbabwe had started off well, taking an early 6-1 lead as Botswana backpedalled in the opening 10 minutes. Goal shooter Lynette Tanhira thrust the team forward with captain Sharon Bwanali also weighing in with some goals.
The hosts started picking up towards the end of the quarter with their captain Taja Majita scoring most of their goals. Still, they could not draw level as Zimbabwe led 8-5 at the end of the quarter.
Botswana coach Abednico Chitale then made changes early into the second quarter, bringing in his country’s brightest prospect, Boikanyo Selegetso.
Majita dropped to goal attack while Selegetso was pushed forward to goal shooter. The move paid off as they narrowed the lead to go to half time trailing by just a goal.
Botswana came out of the blocks strongly in the next quarter as they levelled scores and later took the lead.
The third quarter was goal for goal until the end when Botswana narrowly led 29-28.
The hosts were well supported by a patriotic crowd and managed to open a 34-29 midway through the quarter.
But Zimbabwe’s Tanhira and Bwanali’s successive shots kept the match as an open contest.
Trailing by just one goal with a few seconds before the end of the game, Bwanali could have levelled but missed from close range. Straight afterwards, the umpire blew to end the game.
Bwanali is confident they will bounce back stronger in their next game against Tanzania today.
“We lost narrowly; we will come back stronger in our next game. This is not the end of the tournament,” she told Chronicle Sport.
Her coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki blamed the loss on her goalkeeper Lisa Mutambu’s inexperience.
“We were a bit unlucky in this game. We had challenges at the back, our goalkeeper was not so sharp perhaps because she is too young and not used to this level of the game,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rugby team got off to a good start after beating Tunisia 33-7 at the National Stadium yesterday.
The basketball team plays its first game against Mauritius today at lunch time.
derick.khumalo