Malawi’s national netball team, the Queens, endured a disappointing finish to the Africa Netball Cup after losing 48-44 to Zimbabwe in the third-place playoff at the Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports Complex on Sunday, settling for fourth place on home soil.
Despite the defeat, Queens coach Peace Kalua Chawinga took positives from the campaign, praising the young players for standing up to pressure on a big stage and describing the tournament as a vital learning curve for the future of Malawian netball.
Chawinga said Malawi started strongly in the opening two quarters but struggled to adjust after the break, admitting the team failed to effectively execute an alternative game plan as Zimbabwe exploited weaknesses and capitalised on missed scoring opportunities.
South Africa emerged as the dominant force at the tournament, clinching the women’s title with a convincing victory over Uganda, while also completing a double by defeating Zimbabwe to claim the men’s championship.
Netball Association of Malawi president Vitumbiko Gubuduza congratulated the champions and thanked government, sponsors and supporters, saying the tournament strengthened friendships across Africa and reaffirmed Malawi’s place as a passionate host nation.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Jameson Ndalama, hailed the competition as a celebration of African sporting excellence, noting that Malawi had last hosted the event in 2019 and praising the organisation, sportsmanship and inspiration shown throughout the week.
African Netball president Rebecca Gaogoses echoed the sentiments, expressing gratitude to players, officials, volunteers, sponsors and the Malawian government, while commending Netball Malawi and the local organising committee for successfully delivering a memorable continental championship.
