- Result: South Africa 47-49 Uganda
Uganda’s She Cranes have recorded their best-ever finish at the Netball World Cup.
Fred Mugerwa’s charges beat South Africa 49-47 in a tightly contested 5th-place playoff at the Cape Town International Convention Center on Sunday.
The She Cranes edged the opening quarter 12-11 and South Africa took the second with an identical scoreline as the game was square at the halftime break.
With little to separate the top two sides of the continent, She Cranes got the edge when they took a two-goal lead to the fourth quarter that ended all square.
Player of the game Mary Nuba Cholhok was dominant in the circle scoring 29 goals while skipper Irene Eyaru. who started at Wing Attack was perfect making all her ten shots count when moved to Goal Attack in the second half. Shadiah Nassanga scored 10 goals in the historic win.
Maggie Baagala who missed the preliminary tie that South Africa edged was back and dominated in the midcourt assisting on 21 goals with help from Sarah Nakiyunga (10) who came on for Nassanga to send Eyaru into the circle.
Proteas’ Goal Shooter Elmeré van der Berg missed 7 shots under pressure from Haniisha Muhameed and Faridah Kadondi who made sure injured Christine Nakittowas not missed.
“The match went the way we wanted it to go. When we went into that match my last words to the players were that we shouldn’t make the mistakes we made in the first match we played against South Africa because we gave them a lot of respect and because of that they went ahead by many goals.
“When we tried to catch up [with] those goals, which we did, by the fourth quarter we were very tired and could not go beyond. So this time I told them we should start on a very high note and that’s where we should end and today, the game would not be over until it was over with the final whistle. Indeed this is exactly what they did and we eventually won so I’m very pleased with my girls that they listened to the instructions,” She Cranes head coach Mugerwa said in the aftermath of the game.
Uganda’s Staring 7
- GS – Mary Nuba
- GA – Shadiah Nassanga
- WA – Irene Eyaru
- C – Margret Baagala
- WD – Shaffie Nalwanja
- GD – Falidah Kadondi
- GK – Haniisha Muhameed
She Cranes oyee, God bless you!