LILONGWE – The DebMarine Desert Jewels suffered a tough start to their Africa Netball Cup campaign after going down 48– 36 to a determined Zimbabwean side at the Griffin Saenda Sports Complex in Lilongwe, Malawi. 

The high-intensity encounter set the tone for what promises to be a competitive tournament, as both sides displayed physicality, speed and impressive tactical awareness. 

Namibia started the match on a positive note, taking charge of the first quarter with an 11–9 lead. Despite a few ball-handling errors, the 16th-ranked Namibians managed to settle quickly and control the early tempo. Zimbabwe, however, gradually found their rhythm and began applying pressure, forcing turnovers and disrupting Namibia’s flow. 

The second quarter marked a turning point. Zimbabwe stepped up their physical presence and capitalised on Namibia’s errors, overturning the deficit to take a 22– 19 lead by halftime. Their attacking combinations grew more confident, while their defensive unit limited Namibia’s scoring opportunities. 

Entering the third quarter, the Desert Jewels faced a tough challenge against the 12th-ranked Zimbabweans, who continued to dominate possession and territory. Zimbabwe extended their lead to 35–26, leaving Namibia with a mountain to climb in the final quarter. 

Despite the Desert Jewels’ efforts to claw back into the match, Zimbabwe maintained their composure and sealed a 48–36 victory, handing Namibia their first loss of the tournament. 

Speaking after the match, Netball Namibia president Juanita Witbeen said the match wasn’t physical. “We’ve played more physical games, like when we were in Scotland and played Wales. We made errors today, and players should take ownership when they are on court,” she said. Witbeen emphasised the importance of sticking to fundamentals. 

“Moving forward, the players should do what they do best and not imitate what other countries are doing. They need to focus on the basics,” she said. 

Head coach of the Desert Jewels Julene Meyer expressed disappointment with the way the players performed. “We let ourselves down, we were lacklustre, flat, played without fire, numerous errors and there were no accountability in the changes, today no one stepped up to produce,” she said. “We would have to reflect and look at ourselves to take responsibility for what we gave on court today, then regroup and refocus, put it behind us and come back stronger and harder,” added Meyer.Looking ahead, Namibia will face Kenya on Wednesday at 14h00 in their second group encounter. Witbeen stressed the significance of the upcoming match. 

“Kenya are lower-ranked than Namibia, and we need to win. This match is crucial for us to remain part and parcel of this tournament,” said Witbeen. 

The 2025 Africa Netball Cup officially kicked off on Monday and will run until 14 December. -lmupetami@nepc.com.na