Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S Under-20 handball team struggled with turnovers, poor shooting and unfamiliarity with resin as they went down 39-28 to hosts Cote d’Ivoire in their opening match of the African Men’s Junior Nations Championship in Abidjan on Saturday.
Zimbabwe went into the break trailing 19-15 before Cote d’Ivoire maintained the upper hand in the second half to claim victory in the Group A encounter.
Coach Tafadzwa Madure felt his charges created enough scoring opportunities but failed to make them count.
“Our first game was a tense match, playing against the host nation, although I believe we had it to win because, tactically, we were the same,” Madure said.
“But we made a lot of turnovers and our shooting wasn’t precise.
“I believe it’s an eye-opener for the team.
“Another major setback was resin, which players use to improve their grip on the ball. It is not commonly used in Southern Africa, so we struggled to adapt, while our opponents were more accustomed to it.”
Zimbabwe earned their place at the continental showpiece after winning the International Handball Federation Trophy Zone VI in May.
Madure admitted the continental championship was a step up and said his charges could not afford to make the same mistakes against some of Africa’s top teams.
“This is a very different competition and we cannot afford to make mistakes because opponents capitalise on them.
“Going forward, I believe we should work on our composure. Maybe some of the mistakes we made were because we were panicking,” Madure said.
Zimbabwe were scheduled to play Guinea late yesterday in their second group match.
Guinea opened their campaign with a 36-20 victory over Rwanda.
Zimbabwe wrap up their Group A campaign against Rwanda tomorrow.
The tournament features 16 countries divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
The bottom two teams from each group will contest the placement matches.
