She Cranes world ranking on the edge
In action. Goal shooter Mary Nuba against Lesotho players in the game which Uganda won 94-28. Courtesy PHOTO
Cape Town. The national Netball team She Cranes now risk losing their sixth world ranking following another loss to Malawi in the Africa Netball Cup.
The She Cranes went down to Queens of Malawi 49-45 in a hard fought battle at the Velodrome stadium in Cape Town. Uganda came into this game well aware of the huge stakes attached to it but a more experienced Malawi team took the better of the game right from start.
Goal scorer Mary Cholhock Nuba was out marked in the game that saw coach Rashid Mubiru alternate Centre player Stella Oyella to Goal Attack to reinforce Cholhock. Goal keeper Stella Nanfuka was quickly substituted with a traditionally goal attacking Martha Soigi to control Malawi’s goal Shooter Joyce Muula in vain.
Finally Mubiru settled for the younger pair of Shaffie Nalwanja and Joan Nampungu in the goalkeeping and wing defending positions respectively. It is the second consecutive time this year that Uganda is losing to Malawi who are ranked seventh, one place behind Uganda.
“We now need to play many friendly games with countries which are ranked above us in the world so that we can save our ranking, otherwise things are really bad for us,” said Mary Nuba after the game.
Uganda takes on Kenya in the last game of the Africa Netball cup on Tuesday and has to wait for the results from the rest of the games to confirm it’s position in this championship.
