Tanzania’s national netball team, Taifa Queens, made a difficult start to the Africa Netball Cup after suffering a 90-22 defeat to South Africa in their opening Group One match in Nairobi on Saturday.
The result leaves Tanzania with work to do as the team seeks to keep its campaign on track at the tournament, which also serves as a qualification pathway for next year’s Netball World Cup in Australia.
South Africa controlled the match from the start, making the most of its scoring opportunities while Tanzania struggled to contain its opponents and build sustained attacking pressure.
The defeat was also a setback for Taifa Queens compared with their previous meeting with South Africa at last year’s competition, when Tanzania lost 104-25.
Taifa Queens will now turn their attention to their second group match against Botswana on September 21, where they will be looking to produce a stronger performance and improve their chances of progressing in the tournament.
South Africa entered the competition ranked fifth in the world, while Uganda and Malawi were ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, according to the world rankings cited ahead of the tournament.
Tanzania will need to regroup quickly as the team continues its bid for a place at next year’s World Cup.