Uganda’s She Cranes will be aiming for their first victory in the Netball Nations Cup when they take on England on Saturday.
The Ugandan side has struggled in the competition so far, losing both of their opening matches, and will need a strong performance to keep their hopes alive.
Heading into the clash, England will be looking to bounce back from a narrow 61-59 defeat to South Africa, a game in which former Roses player and Sky Sports pundit Tamsin Greenway felt England’s lack of attacking changes proved costly.
“We said it was going to be a close game. I think they are going to regret not making an attacking switch earlier because it was really costly at the end,” Greenway said.
While England are still in contention for a spot in Sunday’s final, Uganda sits at the bottom of the standings after heavy losses to South Africa and Malawi.
With a goal difference of -39, the She Cranes will not only need a win but also a strong performance to rebuild confidence.
Uganda’s attacking struggles have been a key concern, with limited movement in the shooting circle making it difficult to create scoring opportunities.
Against England, they will need to find more fluidity and precision in attack to challenge the Roses’ defense.
Despite their winless start, Uganda remains a team capable of surprises. They have previously shown resilience against top-ranked sides and will hope to upset England, who may still be reeling from their defeat to South Africa.
England head coach Jess Thirlby acknowledged her side’s improvement in the loss but will be wary of underestimating Uganda.
With the tournament nearing its conclusion, Uganda will be desperate to turn their campaign around, while England will be eager to secure a place in the final.
The match will start at 4:30 pm UK time (7:30 pm EAT).
