Desert Jewels outshine the Gems

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The Gems, ranked 12th in the world, will have a chance to restore lost pride when they clash against Namibia on Thursday.

By MAGRETH RUZVIDZO Zimbabwe . . . . 34

Namibia . . . . . . 38 The Zimbabwe senior netball team, the Gems, were brought down to earth with a 38-34 defeat by Namibia following their flying start, where they beat the same team 48-36 in their tri-nations tournament which also involves hosts Malawi.

The loss came as a huge blow to the team as they were expecting a whitewash win in their three rounds against the 22nd-ranked Namibia.

The Gems, ranked 12th in the world, will have a chance to restore lost pride when they clash against Namibia on Thursday.

Gems coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki on Sunday had warned his side against complacency.

Zimbabwe had a poor start and they failed to recover from it.

From the first quarter up to the final one, Namibia maintained their lead and kept the Gems on their toes.

Speaking after the match, Gems team manager Agnes Chiroodza said the team was disappointed with the result but will now focus on upcoming matches.

“A loss is something that anyone will never celebrate because everyone was aiming for a win, but the tables turned against us. That’s how the game is, either you win, loose or draw. We are aiming for a win in the next game,” Chiroodza said.

“Players played very well. It’s only that everyone was aiming for a win. As we are now focusing on the game against Malawi.”

  • Follow Magreth on Twitter@MagrethRuzvidzo

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