She Cranes players before their friendly match against Barbados on July 23 in Cape Town
The national netball team begin their 2023 World Cup campaign in Cape Town South Africa on Friday, July 28 with something new, and something old.
From the old, only two individuals (Mary Nuba and Stella Nanfuka) on the team have survived from the 2019 Netball World Cup in England. That has left the remaining 13 players on the team, all heading out for their maiden global showpiece, hence forming the new.
However, it is on that premise that questions abound on whether this She Cranes, as they are referred to, can go a step better than the eighth and seventh-place finishes in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups respectively.
Uganda had a test game against Barbados on Sunday, July 23, which they won 53-33. While it is a result that is expected to boost the team’s confidence, Barbados is not the perfect yardstick upon which She Cranes can measure its prospects. They finished twelfth at the last World Cup.
Instead, it is the likes of New Zealand, the five-time champions. They come into the tournament as defending champions, and are in the same group ‘D’ alongside Singapore, and Trinidad and Tobago.
“The least we can do, is try and improve on our previous performances, to show growth,” Irene Eyaru, the team captain, said during the flag-off. Notably, Eyaru avoided being carried away by the excitement of Uganda netball patron, Margaret Zziwa, who in her speech, repeatedly said the team would return as world champions!
For a team that is yet to break into the top four in the world, talking of being world champions appears quite far-fetched. Yet, at the same time, that would put excessive pressure on them.
Fred Mugerwa, the She Cranes coach, who was quite upbeat about the arrival in camp of Mary Nuba (who plies her trade in England) has intermittently said that to get to the top, they must take one game at a time. But even more importantly, the ladies must stick to the tactical plan they have for months worked on in training.
Hassan Kato, who is a player on the national men’s netball team, The Rock, noted that during The She Cranes’ preparation, Mugerwa’s decision to have them face-off with the men, was intentional, to boost their physicality, although they lost both games 51-64 and 63-74.
Kato strongly believes that although this team is full of youth, they are quality players. And if they overcome the nerves, they will do it.
He continued: “We have our playing style as Uganda. But in the past, I have noticed, that when under pressure, we veer off, and forget to play our way of passing the ball, to isolate and tire the opponent, before scoring easy goals. Once we maintain that, and hide the ball, we can beat anyone.”
On the other hand, so much attention is going to be on Nuba from the opponents being Uganda’s main goal-scorer. She will be tightly marked, to limit her. That is why other players like Eyaru, Haniisha Muhameed, Shadia Nassanga, and Christine Namulumba will have to significantly chip in with the scoring efficiency that the combination of Peace Proscovia and Racheal Nanyonga had.
According to the latest world netball rankings released on June 30, and based on cumulative points from games played and won, New Zealand are ranked number two, following their 33 wins in their last 46 games. Add the 11-time champions, Australia, ranked number one in the world, have won 28 of their last 38 games.
England are third, Jamaica fourth, South Africa fifth, and Malawi are sixth. Tonga, who are making their World Cup debut are seventh, following their 20 wins in 21 games, while Uganda are eighth having won 33 of its last 49.
Notably, after the first group stage, the top three teams from Pool A and B move forward to form Pool F, while the top three teams in Pool C and D form Pool G. The bottom team from the first group stage will effectively be eliminated from the main competition, but move into Group E to contest thirteenth to sixteenth place.
Teams will carry their points and goals from the first group stage, before playing three further matches against the teams that have joined them in the second-stage pools. So, the three teams from Pool A play the three Pool B teams and the three teams from Pool C play the three teams from Pool D.
Once all the matches have been played, the top two teams in Pool F and Pool G qualify for the semi-finals. The remaining teams can no longer win the World Cup, but move on into final classification matches.
SHE CRANES SCHEDULE
Friday, July 28@1200 (Noon)
Uganda v Singapore
Saturday, July 29@10am: Uganda v New Zealand
Sunday, July 30@5pm: Uganda v Trinidad & Tobago
WORLD CUP GROUPS
A: Australia, Tonga, Zimbabwe, Fiji
B: England, Malawi, Scotland, Barbados
C: Jamaica, S. Africa, Wales, Sri Lanka
D: New Zealand, Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago, Singapore
Source: The Observer
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