She Cranes Settle for Silver as South Africa Wins 2024 Africa Netball Cup

Uganda’s national netball team, the She Cranes, have settled for Silver after falling to South Africa’s SPAR Proteas in the final of the Africa Netball Cup on Saturday at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund, Namibia.

The win secured South Africa’s fourth continental title since the tournament began in 2010. The Proteas previously clinched the trophy in 2013, 2019, and 2021 but skipped the 2023 edition to focus on World Cup preparations.

This marks South Africa’s second time defeating Uganda in the tournament final, having also beaten the She Cranes in the 2021 championship. The Ugandan team, which missed the 2023 edition due to leadership wrangles within the Uganda Netball Federation, was chasing their fourth title after previous wins in 2014, 2017, and 2018 but fell short against the Proteas.

Saturday’s final saw South Africa assert dominance from the outset, leveraging their superior court structure and precision in attack. The Proteas took a 16-12 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 30-24 at halftime.

Despite efforts from Uganda’s midcourt and defensive unit, South Africa’s sharp shooting and well-coordinated plays widened the gap in the third quarter. They outscored Uganda 20-9 to lead 50-33. The She Cranes, however, struggled to match South Africa’s consistency in the final quarter and ultimately succumbed to a 65-50 defeat.

The result was a tough pill for Uganda, who had delivered a spirited performance in the semi-finals to eliminate a resilient Malawi team. The She Cranes had hoped to carry that momentum into the final but found themselves outmatched by South Africa, their fiercest continental rivals.

“Things didn’t go as planned, but that’s sports—there’s always a win, a draw, or a loss. You just have to accept the outcome,” said She Cranes captain Irene Eyaru after the game Eyaru noted that the team’s attempt to match South Africa’s high-speed play disrupted their usual style.

“I think we had lost of blind passes, which we could not rectify immediately. And the speed which we were using, was a bit high and was almost the same as South Africa. At least if we managed to use our style, playing slow, it would be hard for them to mark us, because whenever we use our style, it is hard for them to mark us,” Eyaru said

Meanwhile, in the individual accolades, Uganda’s centre court maestro, Margaret Baagala, was named Best Centre Player of the tournament, because of flawless feeds and court management throughout the competition.

By URN