Malawi U21 claim victory in Telkom Netball League debut

The tournament debutants claimed a convincing 53–44 win over coach Precious Mthembu’s Kingdom Queens at the Durban University of Technology.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Banda says the team is now focused on maintaining their winning momentum ahead of their next clash against the Limpopo Baobabs on Sunday morning.

“What gave us confidence is the fact that we stuck to the game plan. The coach gave us clear instructions on how to approach the match, and we applied ourselves well. Now we look forward to the next match against the Limpopo Baobabs, and the aim is to maintain the good momentum,” said Banda.

READ: Telkom reflects on Netball league success

Banda adds that she is pleased with how the team executed what they had worked on in training, making sure that they remain in control from the first quarter.

“We had time back home to train and test our combinations. It is good that all of us played a key role in ensuring that we dominated the match from the first quarter. We want to continue applying ourselves in the best way possible,” added Banda.

The Malawi Queen Cubs will only participate in Power Week 1 of the competition, and Banda stated the importance of making the most of their time while in South Africa - with some players aiming for senior national team selection ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“This competition is very important for all the players because we want to push for senior team call-ups ahead of the Commonwealth Games. We have to use these six days in the tournament wisely,” she expressed.