Zim netball Gems beat Northern Ireland in debut Celtic Cup match

ZIMBABWE senior netball team kicked off its inaugural Celtic Cup appearance with a 54-46 win over Northern Ireland on Thursday evening in Scotland.

With four teams battling for honours, Zimbabwe’s match was the second following the Scotland vs Wales match.

The Gems staged a good fight on Thursday evening, which saw them dominating the whole match with good defensive skills which was a testament to good preparations as testified by team head coach Roapadzo Mutsauki ahead of the game.

Zimbabwe recorded a 14- 7 win in the first quarter, 22- 18 in the second quarter, 39 – 31 in the third quarter before registering a 54- 46 win in the final quarter.

So good was the Gems’ performance that youngster Elizabeth Mushore was voted Player of the Match, walking away with £50 as prize money.

The 23-year-old goalkeeper gave Northern Ireland a torrid time, stopping them from freely scoring despite their fast-paced attacks.

Zimbabwe will now face Scotland on Friday evening before playing Wales on Saturday to round up the first round.

The top two teams on ranking after three games will play the final on Monday as the other two fight for bronze (third-place finish).

Zimbabwe is using the ongoing Celtic Cup as part of its preparations for the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers.

Of the four teams participating, Zimbabwe is least ranked on World Netball rankings as they are sitting on position 13, two slots below Nothern Ireland who are on position 11.

Host Scotland is ranked 10 while Wales is in position 9.