Lilongwe, Malawi — Uganda’s Men’s Netball team, “The Rock,” tasted defeat for the first time in the Africa Netball Cup after a hard-fought battle against rivals Zimbabwe, losing 37-33 in their second Pool A fixture.
The loss, which followed a thrilling one-goal victory (40-39) over Botswana in the opening game, marks a critical setback for the Ugandan side as they head into a decisive final pool match.
A Game of Shifting Momentum
The match was a pulsating affair that saw the momentum swing dramatically. Uganda started with confidence, dominating the first quarter and building a commanding lead that ended the period at 12-7 in their favour.
However, the powerful Zimbabwean side regrouped quickly, closing the gap in the second quarter to make it a one-goal game at halftime, with Uganda still narrowly ahead, 20-19.
The closely contested nature continued into the third quarter, where Uganda managed to maintain a fragile two-goal cushion, ending the quarter 26-24.
Zimbabwe elevated their game, capitalising on key turnovers and outscoring the Ugandans to secure a four-goal victory with the final whistle sounding at 37-33.
Final Group Showdown Awaits
The defeat means The Rock now faces a high-stakes encounter against formidable opponents South Africa on Friday, in what will be the final match of Pool A.
A victory will be essential to ensure Uganda progresses to the knockout stages with maximum momentum.
What a fantastic game! It was truly exciting to watch The Rock fight so hard against Zimbabwe.