Prime
She Cranes desire consistency
Goalkeeper Hanisha Muhammed is relishing her first bite at the World Cup. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
In the opening 79-37 win over Singapore on Friday, he started Hanisha Muhammad as a goal shooter and she struck 31/35 while Nuba came off the bench to make 15/17 whereas Christine Namulumba made 100 percent shooting with 15 goals.
CAPE TOWN. The She Cranes set-up spoke in unison. There was little sadness on display after they lost their second preliminary Group D match 54-44 to holders New Zealand here at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
However, coach Fred Mugerwa’s charges want to be more consistent across the hour of the contest, beginning against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, if they are to go a distance during the on-going Netball World Cup.
Goal shooter Mary Nuba scored 30 goals from 38 attempts but Uganda’s steam burnt out in the final quarter as the Silver Ferns closed them out.
“It was a really big task for us to execute those little things that they got us off,” Nuba admitted in the mixed zone after the encounter.
Uganda was playing catch-up for the bigger part of the encounter and when the play was slow, Mugerwa’s side seemed to be at the top of things. They led 2-0, 9-8 and 15-14 during the contest.
However, the five-time champions New Zealand raised the tempo in the third and fourth quarter, capitalizing on the 13-11 and 25-21 quarter leads to seal it with a 10-goal victory.
Uganda actually out possessed the Silver Ferns at 56 percent but the 20 turnovers, five more than their rivals, proved costly.
New Zealand share the scoring roles; shooters Te Paea Selby-Rickit (17/19) and Grace Nweke (15/16), goal attacker Maia Wilson (10/11) and Ameliaranne Ekenasio (12/12) all hitting double digits.
“I am proud of the girls,” Nuba said but, “we need to work more consistently, I think that is where we fell a bit,” she added.
Uganda missed 13 shots of their total 57 attempts, with skipper Irene Eyaru, who started at goal attack relatively quiet with three goals from six attempts.
Eyaru’s replacement Shadiah Nassanga was more present with 11 of 13 and with Trinidad and Tobago understandably lesser opposition, Mugerwa has room to carefully rotate on Sunday.
In the opening 79-37 win over Singapore on Friday, he started Hanisha Muhammad as a goal shooter and she struck 31/35 while Nuba came off the bench to make 15/17 whereas Christine Namulumba made 100 percent shooting with 15 goals.
A win over the Caribbean nation will send Uganda to the next round, irrespective of the outcome between New Zealand and Singapore.
2023 NETBALL WORLD CUP
RESULTS
Zimbabwe 48-52 Fiji
Uganda 44-54 New Zealand
Tonga 56-51 Fiji
Australia 86-30 Zimbabwe
England 90-29 Barbados
Malawi 55-49 Scotland
South Africa 61-50 Wales
Jamaica 105-25 Sri Lanka
New Zealand 76-27 Trinidad & Tobago
Uganda 79-37 Singapore
SUNDAY FIXTURES
GROUP A
10am: Australia vs. Fiji, Arena 1
7pm: Tonga vs. Zimbabwe, Arena 2
GROUP B
12pm: Malawi vs. Barbados, Arena 2
5pm: England vs. Scotland, Arena 1
GROUP C
10am: Wales vs. Sri Lanka, Arena 2
7pm: Jamaica vs. South Africa, Arena 1
GROUP D
12pm: New Zealand vs. Singapore, Arena 1
5pm: Uganda vs. Trinidad & Tobago, Arena 2
