BY MAGRETH RUZVIDZO
Newly-appointed Zimbabwe senior netball team head coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki says he is hoping to lead the Gems to the next World Cup finals in South Africa.
The Harare City coach has taken over from Lloyd Makunde as the national team commences preparations for the World Cup qualifiers scheduled for August 20-27.
Mutsauki was the assistant to Makunde, who led the Gems at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England where they made a remarkable performance and finished in eigth position.
Makunde was also with the Gems last year when they competed in the Pent Series and Africa Netball Cup held in Namibia where they finished third and fifth, respectively.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport, Mutsauki said the appointment was a step forward as he had been already working with the team.
“As someone who has been already within the structures, it’s not something big. My expectation, however, is to win just like everyone else who is looking forward to a win,” said Mutsauki.
“We want to work hard as a team and so far everything is going well in camp. All players are now in camp except for the three who are still writing exams.”
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The Gems went to camp at St Peters in Mbare last Friday. The camp is expected to end on March 31.
The team is hoping to secure a slot for the World Cup that will be hosted next year in Cape Town, South Africa, the first time for the global showpiece to be held in Africa.
“I cannot promise much but we want to qualify,” Mutsauki said.
Meanwhile, the list of players in camp has not yet been released.
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