First match of Day 3 of the Mission Foods Nations Cup kicked off with the undefeated team in the competition so far, Zambia, beating tough opposition Ireland (58 – 26).

Ireland got the better of the first quarter as Morrissey shot the first two goals of the tournament. The lead lasted only a few minutes when Zambia’s Nakazwe and Banda score a goal each to even out the match. Ireland then picked up their game to eventually edge the first quarter by a close score of 10 – 9.

The second quarter began with Zambia’s Banda scoring the five goals in a row. The undefeated team held a strong defence, led by Koholo. The Ireland team struggled to keep up to their opponents. Zambia’s strong attack resulted in twice the goal attempts as compared to Ireland, which eventually led the mid-point score to 22-17.

It was a tough start for the third quarter as both team played with a defensive strategy. The Zambian team executed a mixture of long and short passes, which made it difficult for the Irish team, who switched to organized play. With the Irish’s top scorer, Morrissey, subbed out due to an injury, it slimmed Ireland’s chances of catching up. With seconds left to the end of the third quarter, Zambian team managed a goal – ending the third quarter with a score of 39 – 21.

Both teams seemed motivated as they came out for the final quarter, with Ireland in relentless pursuit of the ball. Zambia’s forward managed to secure 9 goals in a row. Top scorer for the game, Nakazwe from Zambia, sealed off the game with one final goal at the last second with a score of 58 – 26.

Throughout the game, players from both teams had to continue changing the style of play for each quarter, which showed the teams’ agility and tenacity.

Coach Zulu, Team Zambia
“They played to instructions and we are tweaking every game. The team slipped in the first quarter, but they got composed. We are tweaking every game according to the teams. Every game is not easy and all the games are hard. So we have to wait and see how the opponents are.”

Coach Joan Young, Team Ireland
“I think as a fairly new squad, the players played really hard and were determined. Obviously the injury to our shooter, who at the minute is our top scoring player, caused a significant difference. I’m extremely proud of all the players as they didn’t give in for a minute. We going to improve our play, and I expect the same level of effort, same level of determination, and we will continue to improve regardless of who we are playing with.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ireland led the game only in the first quarter
• Top scorer for Ireland, Morrissey, was subbed out due to an injury
• Zambia managed to secure 9 goals in a row in the final quarter
• Nakazwe from Zambia score a goal with at the last second of the match

MATCH STATISTICS