Prime
Hockey She Cranes win Zambezi Series
Suffered but made it. Uganda suffered defensively but still managed to beat Zambia to the Series title. PHOTO/JAMES MUGISHA
What you need to know:
Zambia drew first blood in the 19th minute through Priscilla Mtawito’s conversion from a penalty corner.
Despite losing 2-1 to hosts Zambia on Sunday morning, the Hockey She Cranes managed to triumph at the first Zambezi Series.
Having drawn 2-2 with Zambia on Friday and won 4-2 on Saturday, Uganda needed to avoid a heavy defeat on Sunday to win the Series. A one loss would be enough to retain advantage. A loss by two goals would force a shootout and a loss by three would have handed the trophy to Zambia.
Also after three days of bright sunny warmth at the Olympic Youth Development Centre, where the teams are playing and residing, the weather conspired late on Saturday to add to the pressure. A cold Saturday evening in Lusaka drifted into a windswept morning that seemed to bite into the confidence of the Ugandan players.
Zambia drew first blood in the 19th minute through Priscilla Mtawito’s conversion from a penalty corner. Uganda protested because the ball appeared to be raised from the first shot before Winnie Alaro deflected it into her own net.
Alaro, however, made amends when she also leveled from a penalty corner after combining with her sister Norah Alum in the 30th minute.
Mercy Mutanibo then scored in the 32nd minute and it became a see-saw of a game. Both defences did their bit to close it out at that.
“We missed lots of chances and we do want to make excuses but we believe we had the better Series,” coach Moses Nsereko, who had a red card from the second game rescinded, said.
His captain Norah Alum also believes the side was aggressive enough to have got a better result on the day but the national team also prefers to look at the positives – one of which is a triumph that seats between 2,500km from home to Zambia and a return from Lusaka.
Zambezi Series
Results
Friday: Uganda 2-2 Zambia
Saturday: Zambia 2-4 Uganda
Sunday: Uganda 1-2 Zambia
