Netball teams find rhythm as Africa Netball Cup nears
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday November 4, 2025 11:08
That was their debut appearance at a World Championships event. Dinaledi spent two weeks in Jwaneng working hard in a training camp alongside their male counterparts as they prepare for Africa Netball Cup set for Lilongwe, Malawi in December 8-14.
The team failed to attend Africa Netball Cup that was held in Namibia last year due to financial constraints after failing to secure Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) backing.
Now that everything is in place, the women’s team is under the watchful eye of South African head coach, Martha Mosoahle-Samm.
She told Sport Monitor that her players have found their rhythm and they have shown rapid improvement.
Mosoahle-Samm said the camp started on October 22 until November 2, making it the longest camp they ever had.
The planned test series between Malawi and Botswana, which was set for November 1 to 2, was cancelled due to financial constraints and logistical constraints by the visitors.
“Things are looking good, players are getting used to intensity and high level of competition. We should always strive for excellence, there should be a difference from the camp that we have as we proceed to the next one. “We see that because we give them training programmes and improvement that I have noticed is decision making, general court awareness and smartness on the court.
“We expect to have an international match at the end of November and another one at the beginning of December before we travel to Malawi. Our last training camp will be in South Africa,” she said. One of the deliverables that have been set for Mosoahle-Samm is to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
The coach explained that the plan is still in motion and it will be a good thing for Botswana netball.
“With the quality of talent that we have, qualification for the World Cup is a must. It is also not nice to miss out on the 2026 Commonwealth Games because they make players grow.
“But if they qualify for the World Cup it will be easy to qualify for other big tournaments,” she said.
For her part, the men’s team head coach, Neo Dema said it was the first camp after the test series against Eswatini.
She said the training camp focused on combinations, approach of the game and team work and the players were coping well despite injures.
“The cancellation of Malawi test series did not affect us much but we really wanted to play against them because we are going to meet at the Africa Netball Cup,” Dema said.
“The men’s team has never played against Malawi, only the women’s did. My players are looking forward to the competition.”