Zimpapers Logo

Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

AUSTRALIA-BASED Joice Takaidza is expected to join the rest of the Zimbabwe senior netball team in South Africa for the Netball World Cup qualifiers that begin this coming weekend.

The qualifiers are running from August 20 to 27 in Pretoria, South Africa.

The Gems technical team roped in the experienced goal shooter when they named the final 15 although she was not part of squad that had been in camp.

Coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki said a few training sessions with the player, ahead of their games, will be enough to assess her.

“As long we get one or two training sessions in South Africa it will help us. We can train assessing Joice to see how fit she is and we were communicating with her and she was training.

“So what is so important is to have one or two sessions for us to assess her combination with the others,” said Mutsauki.

They are banking on her experience to strengthen the team as they bid for a second successive qualification to the World Cup.

“What is so important on Joice is that she is tall and has been active. Her height is very important to the team because if we can have one or two tall players in the team, who are shooters, it also puts pressure on the opponent, that’s why we called her.

“Her experience is important because she is an experienced player and that experience we need it in the team,” said Mutsauki after the announcement of the final team.
The Netball World Cup will be staged in Cape Town, South Africa, next year.