Africa started the 2023 Netball World Cup edition with a mixed bag of results however the presence of thousands of local supporters made the occasion a momentous one.
The opening ceremony of the 16 team global showpiece was filled to the brim. The arena roared when the host team, the Spar Proteas walked into the arena as the celebration was about to begin.
The historic event drew high profile including deputy president Paul Mashatile, minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa and Olympic gold medallist, Caster Semenya, and Netball South Africa president, Cecilia Molokwane.
The Proteas, Uganda, and Malawi all had great starts to the competition, winning all their matches in great fashion. Singing and dancing play a big part in African lives whether to celebrate or mourn. The continental representatives in the World Cup used these to get over the line in the opening round of the competition held for the first time on African soil.
The home side got to try various combinations against Wales and saw four Netball World Cup debutants all making a mark as the Proteas defeated the Welsh Feathers 61-50. Coach Norma Plummer started with Ine-Marí Venter in the goal shooter position in the place of experienced Lenize Potgieter.
Venter was visibly emotional when the team lined up for during the national anthem, her eyes were teary as the whole arena reverberated to the sounds of Nkosi Sikelela as South Africa would soon take the first centre pass of the first African soil.
This also marked the Saracens Mavericks goal shooter's first World Cup. She had to withdraw from the national squad after she sustained an injury during training with the team as they prepared for a test series with Wales test series and also getting ready for the 2019 edition of the World Cup. Her exploits in the shooting circle saw her walk away with the player of the match accolade.
“I had been emotional since this morning, this World Cup means a lot to me because I missed out on the previous one due to injury. It’s incredible,” says Venter.
The Proteas were shown a lot of love by their supporters. Hundreds of fans from adults to kids alike lined up to have some memorabilia autographed by their favourite players.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Queens came from behind to record their first victory of the tournament. The Sam Kanyenda led side started their match nervously and ended the first quarter having only netted nine times while Scotland was on 17 points. The number of singing fans in the arena spurred the team to a comeback which the Queens went on to win every quarter after that. Malawi walked away with an impressive 55-49 victory.
Veteran Joyce Mvula inspired her side to victory, she achieved a 100 per cent scoring rate, and her teammates Mwai Kumwenda and Jane Chimaliro were also accurate in the circles.
The She Cranes were not in the mood to make nice in their first outing of the competition. Coach Fred Mugerwa only had two players who have had previous World Cup experience in their opening match.
Theirs was a comfortable win to start the competition on a high.
Zimbabwe are the only African side that failed to register a victory in the opening round of the competition.
Although the Gems started their match against the defending champions on high with confidence with their attacking third quite fluid and being able to supply to their shooting circle. This started to wear off in the second quarter and the Silver Ferns ran away with the game.
The presence of the Zimbabwean fans in the stands seemed to have an influence on the confidence and flow of the Gems on court. The supporters were on their feet during the entire game, singing and cheering their team on.
Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki is set on taking his team to a better spot than in the 2019 edition which was their first World Cup appearance. The Gems took the eighth position in Liverpool with coach Lloyd Makunde.
“Somehow I think the youngsters failed to contain the pressure, especially in the second half. But I am sure that this game was a brain teaser for us because it gives us the real picture of who we are. We just need character and we gave Australia too much respect. It gave a picture that we shouldn’t give anyone respect, we just need to stick to our game plan. There is no good loss, there is no better performance when you lose. We still need to improve in many areas,” says Makunde.