By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe’s senior netball team, the Gems, will look to finish the African Netball Championships on a high when they face hosts Malawi in the bronze medal match on Sunday, following a bruising 84–32 semi-final defeat to South Africa in Lilongwe.
The loss ended Zimbabwe’s hopes of reaching the final but kept their medal ambitions alive, with one final opportunity to claim silverware at the continental tournament.
South Africa asserted their dominance from the opening whistle, surging into an early lead and capitalising on Zimbabwe’s struggles to protect centre passes. The Gems found themselves under sustained pressure, trailing 57–22 at half-time as the Spar Proteas dictated both possession and tempo.
Head coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki said the result must be viewed in the context of a rebuilding phase focused on long-term goals.
“It was a tough one for us, South Africa are a powerhouse and obviously it was never going to be easy especially as we rebuild like this,” said Mutsauki.
“We are building for the 2027 World Cup, so our aim currently is to build a team that is going to qualify… we are not reading much into these results, our sights are beyond that.”
Zimbabwe mixed emerging players with experienced campaigners, including shooter Sharon Bwanali and midcourt general Claris Kwaramba, but the blend struggled under pressure as South Africa repeatedly turned turnovers into quick goals.
Despite the heavy scoreline, Mutsauki insisted the match provided valuable lessons for his side.
“This was the most competitive of all the games that we have played and instead of focusing on the score line we picked a lot of crucial lessons that will be beneficial for us in future,” he said.
Zimbabwe now turn their full attention to Malawi, knowing a win on Sunday will secure the bronze medal and provide momentum as they continue their journey towards qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Australia.