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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
THE past week saw the Zimbabwe senior netball team, the Gems, battling it out at the Netball World Cup African Qualifiers in Pretoria, South Africa, and they did not disappoint as they booked their place at next year’s World Cup finals.
They made their maiden appearance at the Vitality Netball World Cup, in Liverpool, England, in 2019.
Once again, they have done it.
They have proved what they are capable of by attaining their second consecutive qualification to the global tournament.
The 2023 Netball World Cup will be staged in Cape Town, South Africa, from July 28 to August 6.
The just-ended African Qualifiers featured nine countries, divided into two pools and Zimbabwe were in Pool A. They were competing for the two remaining slots to the tournament after South Africa and Uganda qualified as hosts and through their world ranking respectively.
Overall, Zimbabwe were placed third behind winners South Africa and Malawi. But with South Africa already qualified, Zimbabwe’s third-place finish was good enough to see them through to next year’s Netball World Cup finals.
Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki praised his charges for a good show at the qualifiers after having fielded a blended team of upcoming and experienced players.
“The team played very well overall. I think what I can say is from the start they played tough games but their performance was good.
“Yes, we lost to South Africa and Malawi but those games we knew it was not going to help our cause to go all out and put 100 percent effort on the two games and then fail to qualify. So we made sure not to strain our players in those two games.
“Our players I think it’s 50-50, those that came for the first time and those that were already regular players and were part of the team in the previous qualifiers.
“Those that came for the first time to the qualifiers they played well. Of course, here and there we would talk to them during the games to boost their confidence and they did well. So I look forward and hope that we can continue with the team,” said Mutsauki.
The Spar Zimbabwe-sponsored side finished second in Pool A with six points after winning three matches against Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania.
They lost their last Pool A match to hosts South Africa on Thursday but they had already made it to the semi-finals.
Zimbabwe also lost to Pool B winners Malawi in the semi-finals and went into the third and fourth-place play-off needing nothing short of a win to qualify and they rose to the occasion when they beat Zambia 59-41 on Saturday.
Zambia had lost to South Africa in the other semi-final.
The Gems coach Mutsauki was quick to note the need for resources, for preparations, to ensure the team is in a good position to compete at the 2023 Netball World Cup next year in Cape Tow, South Africa.
He said they are grateful to Spar Zimbabwe for coming on board to support their journey to qualification and emphasised the importance of such support, which usually lacks for national teams in Zimbabwe.
“Now that we are going to the Netball World Cup, my wish is for us to get resources so that we have more time in camp, get more friendly matches.
“If we can get friendly matches, it helps because after training you need to assess the players to see if you are making progress and work on areas you are lacking. That’s important.
“I want to thank the Government for the support they give to the team, it’s important for us. If we can get support from the private sector also it will go a long way.
“If we fail to have camps and adequately prepare, it will be difficult because to come up with the right combinations, it all comes from training.
“If we look at Spar Zimbabwe, they didn’t wait for us to qualify. They have been with us through this journey because to qualify you need support so that you are prepared. So we are grateful to Spar Zimbabwe and the Government,” said Mutsauki.
Mutsauki, who led the Under-21 side at the World Youth Cup in 2017, said the qualification with the Gems is important to him as it marks another milestone in his coaching career.
“I believe I have achieved a lot because I first went to the World Youth Cup with the 21-and-Under in 2017 and we finished ninth. I went to the Netball World Cup as the assistant coach with the senior national team in 2019 and we were placed number eight.
“Now as head coach to the senior team, we have qualified for the World Cup and in 2014 as the Under-20 national coach in Bulawayo for the Region Five Games, we beat South Africa in the final and won a gold medal.
“So I believe I have achieved a lot and this qualification is important to me. It’s something I will always remember and cherish.”
It’s also interesting to note that the likes of Sharon Bwanali, Claris Kwaramba and Tanaka Makusha were part of the team that competed at the World Youth Cup in 2017 in Botswana where Zimbabwe finished ninth.
Gems captain Felisitus Kwangwa, although she did not play at the World Youth Cup, she was among the players that helped the team to qualify in 2016.
They were all part of the team at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool.
And as netball continues to produce success stories, the journey the Gems have travelled also reflects the importance of continuity from junior structures to senior level.
The senior national team is on a rebuilding exercise following the retirement of some senior players after the 2019 Netball World Cup and for the side to have managed to qualify for the second consecutive time to the World Cup, shows the talent and commitment.
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