The Proteas netball team in a huddle during a match at the recent Commonwealth Games. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Though the continental competition might not mean as much to them as it will to many of the teams they are hosting, the Proteas will be looking for some revenge and a crucial confidence boost at the African Region Netball World Cup qualifying tournament starting in Pretoria on Sunday.
South Africa, who qualify automatically as hosts, and Uganda, who earn their spot on rankings as the No 6 team in the world, are already guaranteed places at next year’s World Cup in Cape Town.
And while both teams will compete in the week-long qualifying event in the capital city, the other eight sides have everything to play for, with two World Cup spots on the line.
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At the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, the Proteas delivered their best result in 24 years at the global spectacle by reaching the semifinals.
Though they remain a potential force, however, the national team again showed at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham that they need to take a step up if they want to reach the podium in Cape Town next year.
They defeated Wales in a two-test series in Cardiff in July, and while they went on to beat Wales again in the pool stages at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month, along with lowly ranked Barbados and Scotland, they struggled to put up a fight against the world’s best.
After falling to Australia and Jamaica in the opening round, missing out on the medal playoffs, the Proteas ultimately settled for sixth place in Birmingham, slipping in a shock 54-48 defeat to a rising Ugandan side which has emerged as their strongest opposition on the continent.
Other teams, of course, will be looking to punch above their weight at the African qualifying tournament, but based on recent form, it looks set for another showdown between SA and Uganda in next weekend’s final.
Uganda have been drawn against Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Eswatini in Pool A, while the Proteas are in Pool B with Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania.
South Africa will open their campaign against an unfancied Tanzanian team in their opening match at Rembrandt Hall on Sunday afternoon.
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