Dinaledi suffer defeat in Africa Cup opener

Dinaledi are battling for Africa glory in Windhoek and are up against the hosts, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The team entered the tournament as the third-lowest ranked side as they are placed 27th in the world.

In their first game played on Tuesday evening, Dinaledi were forced to chase the game from the first whistle with the host dominating proceedings. The local girls were three points behind after the first quarter and by halftime, Dinaledi were trailing by just six points, 25-19. The Namibians maintained the six-point lead by the end of the third quarter as it ended 36-30. Going into the final quarter, it looked like Dinaledi could stage a comeback as the level of play looked even. However, Namibia held on to win the match by nine points. Speaking after the match, Dinaledi coach, Sithulile Mlotshwa said she was disappointed with the team’s defence and hinted at a new defensive strategy ahead of the next game against Malawi this afternoon.