The Zimbabwe-Uganda rivalry, which recently escalated to a ‘Twitter War” during the recently concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals which were hosted by Egypt, will once again be renewed when the men’s rugby team, the Sables play against the Cranes in the Victoria Cup in Kampala tomorrow.
The #UgaZim trended on Twitter when the soccer team, the Warriors played against their Ugandan counterparts In Egypt but the match ended in a stalemate as the two footballing nations settled for a 1-all draw.
The rivalry then switched to the ladies netball teams when the Zimbabwean Gems played against The She-Cranes of Uganda but the latter came on top with a 47:58 victory to deny Zimbabwe a seventh-place finish at the world netball jamboree in Liverpool.
With that inflicting defeat, it is now time for the Sable to salvage the lost pride when they come face to face with the Cranes, who are by far the better side and more dangerous when playing in their nest.
True to the nature of real “cranes”, the Cranes will sometimes feign injury to lure predators away from a nest site and the Sables will need not be fooled by that. And in most cases, the Cranes have used these kind of tactics to sly most of their opponents in different sporting disciplines.
The fact that the Cranes recently lost to Kenya in the Elgon Cup, should not count for anything as this will even be a better motivation for them to appease their ever-demanding home fans
For a sporting fraternity that has been ravaged by scandals and bans in recent days, the Sables will carry the nation’s burden on its shoulders and each scrum will need to be defended with precision and tenacity as if they were defending the country against a plague of hazardous Cranes.
A victory in Kampala will not only be good for the Sables who are coming off the back of a convincing 39-10 victory over Zambia in their opening match but will also do due diligence to”Twimbos” who were, in all fairness, defeated when the battle gained momentum on social media.
The nation needs redemption and an opportunity has availed itself, so it’s over to you lads!
The travelling squad will feature three debutantes Aiden Burnett, Dudley White Sharpley and Rufaro Chikwaira.
The Squad:
1. Tyran Fagan, 2. Matthew Mandioma, 3. David Makanda , 4. Jan Ferreira (VC), 5. Godfrey Muzanargwo, 6. Blithe Mavesere, 7. Brian Nyaude, 8. Aiden Burnett, 9. Hilton Mudariki (C), 10. Kuziwakwashe Kazembe, 11. Matthew McNab, 12. Chibuwe Ngoni, 13. Shane Makombe, 14. Takudzwa Kumadiro, 15. Martin Mangongo, 16. Keith Murray, 17. Tatenda Rwenyu, 18. Royal Mwale, 19. Biselele Tshamala, 20. Njabulo Ndlovu, 21. Dudley White – Sharpley, 22.Rufaro Chikwaira, 23. Takudzwa Chieza 24. Moses Gunda (Travelling squad member)
Team Management:
Head Coach: Brendon Dawson
Assistant Coach: Tonderai Chavhanga
Manager: Jason Maritz
Physiotherapist: Pauline Manyaya
