Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
NATIONAL netball select side Zambezi Eagles coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki is walking with a newfound spring in his step ahead of the upcoming Telkom Power Week Two.
Scheduled to run between June 13 and 17, the contest will be hosted at Sun City, North West, South Africa.
The South Africa premier semi-professional netball competition brings together top teams from across provinces with Zambezi Eagles and South Africa’s junior national team joining as guests.
Zambezi Eagles’ participation follows the acceptance of the Zimbabwe Netball Association’s request by South Africa Netball to be part of the league games.
The team is being supported by the senior national team’s principal sponsor, Nedbank.
After regrouping a week ago, a buoyant Mutsauki notes that his side is no longer the hesitant team that limped through Power Week One last month.
The squad, he said, is reborn with a renewed admirable energy.
“I am happy with what I am seeing right now, there is positive energy in camp and tremendous improvement on the court,” he said.
In Power Week One, the team blew hot and cold, winning four out of the nine games they played.
However, with his Select outfit, largely made up of novices, Mutsauki refused to read much into score lines citing that his major goal is to build for the future.
Mutasauki knows that his players are not always exposed to regular international competition and has embraced the platform that the Telkom series provide in helping Zimbabwe assess the material at their disposal.
“I believe that Power Week One worked its magic; now the team’s unity is profound, the players’ confidence soaring,” Mutsauki said.
“The team is shaping up, no major injuries so everything is moving according to plan.”
Power Week Two represents more than just a chance for Zambezi Eagles to improve on their record.
It is also an opportunity for the young players to showcase their talents and catch the eye of international scouts.
Historically, senior national team captain Felisitus Kwangwa is the only Zimbabwean netballer to ever land an international move.
She was spotted by Surrey Storm during the World Cup in Liverpool in 2019 and went on to play at the England-based side for three seasons before returning home.
Now Mutsauki will be hoping to produce another player from the youthful crop he has who can make it to an international stage.
Mutsauki is loving every bit of preparation the Zambezi Eagles are undergoing at Girls High School, where they are camped in Harare.
“This time we brought in other youngsters who were not part of the Power-Week-One.
“Rebuilding is a process so the introduction of the new players has to be gradual.” He said the rookies are configuring well with the rest of the team and that they are also sweating it out for a place in the travelling party.
The smooth rebuilding exercise has helped Mutsauki introduce a new strategy, incorporating elements of surprise and quick transitions. He is also leveraging the new players’ individual strengths to create a fluid, unpredictable style of play.
“They have blended well with the rest of the team and they have also increased competition in camp which is a positive development for us.
“The new players bring in a fresh dimension to our play, which is what we will largely bank on.
“This is the second round of the tournament so it is a battle of the best and it will not be easy at all. The games will be very difficult.”
“But with what is happening in camp, I am confident that we will give every opponent a difficult time so right now we are working more on coordination.”
Mutsauki added that the tournament is his initial stage to start preparations for the 2027 World Cup to be played in Australia.
