The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
ZIMBABWE Lady Cheetahs’ skipper Charity Mucucuti has challenged her charges to show more aggression when the team returns to the park for the semi-finals of the Africa Cup Women’s Seven Tournament today. The hosts survived an early scare during yesterday’s opening day, when they were mauled by neighbors South Africa in the tourney opener before ruthlessly demolishing Namibia and Senegal to qualify for the last four.
Zimbabwe fell 7-24 to South Africa in their opening game but showed great character as they dispatched Namibia 31-0 before rounding off their group campaign with an equally impressive 22-0 victory over Senegal.
The hosts will now meet Kenya in the semi-finals and skipper Mucucuti has challenged her teammates to come out with guns plans.
“In the larger scheme of things, I think the girls played well and put up a good fight,” she said.
“What you need to understand is that we have a very young team with most of these girls playing their very first international tournament. Jitters are to be expected and they were there for all to see during the first match against South Africa.“Unfortunately, we no longer have that luxury as the finals are a different ball game. The girls, especially the younger ones, need to up their game and show a lot of aggression when we play Kenya.”
In the first match, South Africa got on the board through tries from Rennie McCarthy, Jackie Kriel and a hat trick from fly-half Zenay Jordan.
Jordan also chipped in with the boot, making two conversions.Zimbabwe, on the other hand, could only muster a try and a conversion from Carol Malenga and Precious Marange respectively and will need to improve if they entertain any chances of defeating a Kenyan outfit which easily won its group.Action continues this morning at Morris Depot Police Grounds.
