Malawi Under-21 Netball National Team yesterday heaved a sigh of relief after coming from behind to narrowly beat Fiji 52-51 in their second Pool D match at the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.
This was their second-straight win following a 65-29 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in their opener on Sunday.
Up next this afternoon are fellow Africans South Africa in their third pool fixture from 5pm.
the match. | Courtesy of NAM
Yesterday, in a match monitored on Fiji Netball Facebook page,Malawi trailed 36-41 in the third quarter, but they crawled back with a fourth-quarter surge that eventually gave them the slender win.
Malawi roared to an impressive 15-11 lead in the first quarter before Fiji turned the tables with a narrow 25-26 lead at half-time.
The Baby Pearls continued to dominate and had a five-basket advantage in the third segment.
In the fourth quarter, both sides sensed danger and upped the tempo that saw baskets flowing in equal measure on both sides.
With seconds remaining on the clock, the two sides were tied 51-all.
But just when it appeared like the two teams would share the spoils, Stella Matellezi ghosted into the shooting circle and converted the winner.
After the final whistle, they were on cloud nine as they celebrated their hard-fought victory on the court.
Malawi coach Noel Mussa praised his charges for their spirited performance, especially in the dying minutes.
“This was a very tough match that could have gone either way and we are happy to have eventually survived the scare,” he said.
Mussa said they have now shifted their focus to this evening’s tie against South Africa and they are confident to maintain their never-say-die attitude.
