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Tadious Manyepo, Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe national netball team coach Lloyd Makunde says his charges have covered a lot of ground in addressing key aspects of the game ahead of the joint Africa Championships and 2019 World Cup qualifiers in Zambia next week.

The annual continental championship, which is slated for August 13 to 18 in Lusaka, will also work as qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, England, in July next year.

Seven countries – Namibia, Kenya, Botswana, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe and hosts Zambia – will battle it out for African glory with two top teams set to join Malawi and South Africa for the global showpiece.

Malawi and South Africa have already qualified automatically for the quadrennial competition by virtue of being ranked among the top six countries in the world.

The former have opted to participate at the annual fiesta as part of their preparations for the World Cup.

The Gems have been in camp for the past few weeks with a squad of 17 players who will be trimmed to 12 this afternoon.

And with an average height of 1.69metres among his players, Makunde believes his side has worked well to compliment that.

The veteran gaffer has also been preaching for his players to retain their focus after they lost to Botswana in the Pent Series last June in a match they were favourites.

“So far so good, in terms of how we are preparing for the Africa Netball Championships,” said Makunde.