ZAMBIA HUMBLE IVORY COAST

Sat, 16 Sep 2017 11:30:35 +0000

By Grace Chaile Lesoetsa

DESPITE arriving three days late after the start of the Africa Nations handball women championship, Zambia has humiliated hosts Ivory Coast 36-23 in a thrilling match played yesterday.

The women team faced financial challenges and the Handball Association of Zambia (HAZ) almost withdrew participation from the competition last Monday.

However, the team defied all odds to put Zambia in contention for the title.  Zambia had a jittery start in the opening half with stage- fright visible as most of the players had never played at that level.

But they gained momentum after the break and punished Ivory Coast in their half to pick up the victory. HAZ president Victor Bwalyabanda said the team performed beyond everyone’s expectation. Bwalyabanda said the victory was evidence that with adequate support, the women are capable of doing the impossible.

“They have done us proud. Their resilience and team work was exceptional. It is never easy to beat the host nation especially with the challenges they faced. It is a well-executed job,” he said.

He advised the team to remain focused and aim to win the remaining games.

The team was last evening scheduled to play Senegal in their second match of the competition.