By Burnett Munthali
The Malawi National Netball Team, the Queens, faced a challenging start to their campaign in the Vitality Netball Nations Cup, suffering a 62-36 defeat against England’s Roses in Nottingham, England. Despite the significant loss, co-coach Peace Chawinga remains optimistic and has identified key takeaways that could help the team improve in their upcoming fixtures.
Speaking after the match, Chawinga acknowledged the superiority of England, who dominated all four quarters, but insisted that the Queens showed moments of promise. She pointed out that:
The players showed resilience, despite struggling to contain England’s fast-paced attack.
The team’s defensive coordination improved in the second half, limiting England’s scoring opportunities.
The Queens had some good offensive transitions, but unforced errors and missed chances affected their overall performance.
Chawinga emphasized that the team would review their mistakes and make adjustments ahead of their next game against Uganda’s She Cranes.
The Queens are set to return to action today, facing Uganda in their second match of the Vitality Netball Nations Cup. Uganda, known for their physical style of play and strong defensive setups, presents a tough challenge for Malawi. The Queens will need to:
Minimize turnovers and avoid giving Uganda easy scoring opportunities.
Strengthen their defense to contain Uganda’s shooters, especially Mary Nuba Cholhok, who is a key threat.
Improve shooting accuracy, as missed opportunities cost them heavily in the England game.
Chawinga has assured fans that the Queens will give their best performance and fight for a positive result against Uganda.
The Vitality Netball Nations Cup is a crucial tournament for Malawi as they prepare for future international competitions. The Queens are aiming to test different strategies, improve squad depth, and strengthen team chemistry against some of the world’s best teams.
Despite the setback against England, Chawinga remains hopeful that the Queens can bounce back stronger and put on a better display in their next games.
Malawi netball fans will be eagerly watching to see if the Queens can recover and secure a much-needed win against Uganda.
