| The four captains: (from left to right) Madagascar, Cameroon, South African Republic and Kenya. |
The Big Island begins its African Women’s Rugby Union Cup today. The Ladies Makis, motivated by a vengeful spirit, challenge the Kenyans at 3 p.m.
The four captains of the countries participating in the Africa Women’s Cup held a press conference yesterday at the Paon d’Or in Antanetibe-Antehiroka. This meeting with the press was out of the ordinary, because it took place in the open air, after their photo session in the aisles of the establishment
It was a short press conference because each captain was only allowed two questions, according to the instructions of the tournament director, Kenyan John Bosco Muamba.
For Madagascar, the stakes are high because, playing at home, the pressure weighing on the shoulders of Ladies Makis is great due to the double challenge of this African Cup: firstly, the search for the continental title and secondly, looking for a qualification ticket for the 2025 World Cup in England.
Fenitriniaina Hanta Razafindramanga, captain of the Ladies Makis, was very precise in her statement:
“We are playing at home in front of our home crowd and we will set the bar very high. We set ourselves the goal of winning the first match against Kenya at all costs. It will be a difficult match, but we will do everything to beat it. Then we will try to beat Cameroon on Wednesday. To do this, we need the support of the public,” confides the Malagasy captain.
Above the rest
Kenya captain Natasha Emali was not very talkative. She clarified that her team’s objective is to beat Madagascar in the opening round. “We came here to achieve a good result. Compared to last year, new faces have joined the team and they have added something to its needs. Beating Madagascar on its soil is very difficult, but we came here to take up the challenge,” she confides.
Of the four participating countries, South Africa stands out above the rest. If there is a consistent logic in this sport and in everything that South Africa’s players have demonstrated before, it can be predicted that the South African team will easily win the Africa Women’s Cup 2024 in Madagascar.
But the sport is not known for its consistency and predictability. Nolusindiso Booi, South Africa’s captain, says she is wary of Kenya: “The Kenyan players are physically strong. Our style of play is based on scrum and touch. On each possession, we will look for the touchline as the opposing team approaches the goal and we will push hard to score a try, or even more tries. »
Tchinkou Fosso, the captain of Cameroon, the last to speak, remarked: “Compared to the past year, our main objective is to remain in the African elite. We are not afraid of anyone because we came to fight and seek good results. »
Donné Raherinjatovo
