CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA: Uganda’s Netball team; She Cranes Monday suffered their third World Cup loss against Jamaica when they went down 49-61 in a Pool G match at the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.
The outcome appeared to be a disappointing result for the She Cranes who gave world champions New Zealand a freight on Day 2, losing by only 10 points.
The defeat to Jamaica means the She Cranes can not reach the semifinals of the tournament and will thus play for classification after Group G games are completed.
Uganda is ranked eighth in the world and participating for the fourth time in the Netball World Cup compared to Jamaica’s 16th. Mary Cholhok and Stella Nanfuka were the only players in the She Cranes squad to have previously played in the sports showpiece tournament.
From the opening whistle, Uganda displayed their trademark tenacity, but they faced formidable opposition from the Sunshine Girls. Defenders Shamera Stirling and Latanya Wilson were swift and relentless, blocking Uganda’s attacking attempts and causing turnovers at crucial moments.
Uganda initially had most of the possession but couldn’t convert it into points as the normally reliable Cholhok missed a handful of attempts. The gaps in mid-court also started closing down and world No 4 Jamaica raced to a 38-21 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Uganda rallied back. The mid-court players, led by Margret Baagala, found openings in Jamaica’s defence. Shooters Cholhok and Shadiah Nassanga converted these opportunities into goals and this enabled the She Cranes to win the quarter 16-11.
The last 15 minutes proved to be an up-and-down affair. Although the win was out of the She Cranes’ reach, they claimed 61 per cent of the possession to share the spoils (12-12).
Match Summary
Most Valuable Player: Shadiah Nassanga (Uganda)
Goal Shooting Percentage: 98.4 per cent / 86 per cent
Penalty Count (Contact and Obstruction): Jamaica 82 / Uganda 52
Quarter scores: 15-11 / 38-21 / 49-37 / 61-48
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