It took some pretty hectic UNEB maths to work out if Uganda made it through but we got there in the end at the on-going 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
They needed to win by 40 points to overtake New Zealand in Pool B but sadly they didn’t quite make it.
Uganda, in their first Games, hold a five-point lead at the halfway stage and went on to dominate the final half to win. Rachael Nanyonga posted an impressive start to the game and the Ugandans particularly had her to thank for their 14-11 opening quarter lead.
The second quarter saw the She Cranes, rallied on by the huge crowd inside the Convention and Exhibition Centre, maintain their lead. But still their ultimate target was being frustrated by a disciplined defensive Scottish side.
Ugandans returned after half-time with such force that saw them win the third quarter 15-9 and the last quarter 16-7.
In the end, the 20-goal-margin victory was way short of what they had set their sights on to reach the semi-finals.
Now, seventh-ranked Uganda, having finished third in the group, know the identity of their next opponents: South Africa, who are ranked fifth, and finished third in Pool A.
Tuesday’s 76-40 win over Wales had kept Uganda with a mathematical chance of making it to the semi finals if they stopped Scotland today (which they did) and hope that New Zealand can suffer defeat to England by a big margin, while Malawi can also fall to Wales.
But England had never beaten New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games… until a few hours ago.
The Red Roses ended that run with victory over the Kiwis to guarantee top spot in Pool B to but all kill Peace Proscovia andShe Cranes’ slim chances of progressing to the last four.
