The Malawi Queens roll out their 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games campaign tonight in Scotland hoping to end their 11-year winless run against continental rivals South Africa’s Proteas.
The last time the Malawi National Netball Team beat South Africa was in August 2015 with a 58–51 victory at the Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
But having started a new chapter under the tutelage of expatriate coach Debbie Fuller and buoyed by the return of Australia-based battle-hardened shooter, Mwawi Kumwenda, the Queens will be out to break that lengthy jinx.
In video clips shared yesterday, the Queens appeared unruffled and at ease as they went through their final paces ahead of the showdown.
It will be the first official match for the New Zealander, whose targets include a top seven finish at the Games.
In a pre-match interview, Fuller said her charges are fully prepared.
She said: “The build-up has been fantastic. We have played against Wales and Northern Ireland, teams that are matured.
“It has been wonderful to see our contingency planning and combinations to look at the consistency leading to the South Africa game.
“What has to be appreciated is that we are fast-tracking a young group with regard to experience to be at their best for an international competition. The great thing is that they are working extremely hard for each other.”
Earlier this week after the three training games in Manchester, England, she said the matches had helped to tighten the loose ends.
Fuller, however, expressed worry over the team’s struggles on accuracy, especially when under pressure.
“The key areas we need to address are accuracy. Netball is a precision game. So, we need to have timing and decision-making to be accurate under pressure,” said the Queens gaffer.
On how Mwawi is fitting in, Fuller said: “Mwawi has been phenomenal with the way she is coming and working with the team. She has been open and the team has been receptive to her experience and foresight. We are lucky to have her as this will make sure our play is super clear.”
Mwawi, who may be well in the twilight of her distinguished career, leads a predominantly youthful squad at the Games where she has been top scorer twice—in 2014 and 2018.
The Queens have gone to the Commonwealth Games with half of the 12-player squad having their first major competition at senior level, but Fuller believes the team is good enough to compete against the best teams in the world.
Apart from Mwawi, others in the squad with notable experience are captain Takondwa Lwazi and goal defender Martha Dambo.
“We have to be realistic with the fact that we have six young players, which is 50 percent of our team. But the New Zealand coach was impressed with the speed and athleticism of our players in our recent friendly,” she said.
“Malawi has to take a huge pride in athleticism, which is beautiful to watch. That is a great strength for us. The girls have hit their fitness targets and that’s very impressive.”
On the other hand, Proteas South Africa coach Jenny van Dyk has said her team is ready for the tournament.
She said a demanding 12-month build-up has left the Proteas well-equipped to challenge for a place in the semi-finals.
“The players are in a good spot and ready for the challenge ahead,” Van Dyk was quoted as saying by Cape Argus.
Karla Pretorius, Khanyisa Chawane and Karla Victor are the key South African players to watch at the Games.
