Queens must beat Tonga for 5th place chance
A mere fantasy. The Malawi Queens’ target for a top -four finish at the 2023 Netball World Cup has been shattered as the semi-final slots in their group have been secured by Australia and England.
The Queens are third in Group F of the qualifiers with four points, four behind joint-leaders, the Diamonds of Australia and England’s Roses.
The Queens will now be hoping to beat fourth-placed Tonga, with whom they are tied on points this evening to finish third and have a chance of battling for the fifth place at the netball global showpiece.
In an interview yesterday, Queens caretaker coach Samuel Kanyenda accepted the harsh reality that their top-four target is beyond them.
He said: “Following last night [Tuesday], we cannot make the last four.
“But all is not lost, if we win against Tonga tomorrow [today], then we can fight for the fifth place, which could be a solace.”
Should Malawi beat Tonga today, then they could probably face either South Africa’s Spar Proteas or Uganda’s She Cranes. The two teams also face off this evening to determine which team finishes third and fourth in Group G.
On this evening’s match, Kanyenda said her charges will have to exercise caution as he anticipates a tough game.
He said: “They [Tonga] are a team on the rise. So, we’ll have to be on guard.”
Tonga beat the Queens 54-41 in the PacificAus Netball Series’ final in April, but Kanyenda said this will be a different game altogether.
Malawi played without five key players in that tournament, namely Australia and New Zealand-based shooters Mwawi Kumwenda and Joyce Mvula, respectively. They were also without UK-based duo of defender Towera Vinkhumbo and Carol Mtukule-Ngwira. They also played without local-based wing attacker Grace Mwafilirwa.
The coach also said defender Lauren Ngwira and centre Takondwa Lwazi, who sustained injuries during Tuesday’s match against Australia, are available for selection.
“They were not serious injuries, so we expect them to play,” he said.
Malawi lost to the world ‘s top-ranked side Australia 70-46 in a match they punched above their weight to be level 28-all at half time and even won the second quarter 16-13, the only side to achieve that feat against the Aussies at this tournament.
On the other hand, Tonga, who are ranked seventh in the world, just a place below the Queens, will be buoyed by their 55-47 victory over Scotland’s Thistles on Tuesday.
Tonga coach Jaqua Pori-Makea Simpson said in an interview that they expect a tough match.
She said: “We played Malawi at at the PacificAus and we know how they play. Of course, we beat them, but this is a different stage. It’s the World Cup.”—Story powered by Ekhaya Farms Foods Limited.
